[title card] Shriner U logo; Shriners International Education Foundation presents: The 6 Ps of Leadership: Contingency Planning
[title card] Darrell Rostek, Marketing Chair, Khartum Shriners
Ever heard the saying, “Nothing happens by chance?” Well, it does. I always like to think that if you didn't plan for it, there's a good chance it's going to happen. All you have to do is ask yourself, “Who has ever been to an outdoor wedding? Did they have a plan B? If it started to rain, why not?” Because optimism, optimism usually leads to failure. The first step is to ask yourself, “What are we doing here, and what is our goal?” Assemble your team. Once you've decided what you're going to be doing, start looking for volunteers. A good leader tries to find the best match for the task at hand. No one likes being voluntold, and maybe the person who's an office administrator doesn't want to be taking notes for the event. However, you have to start planning. It feels comfortable. Do it immediately. Even if you have to sit down and scribble a bunch of notes on a piece of paper or do what I do and slap Post-it notes all over the wall, it's better to start sooner than later. Just remember, because you came up with a plan, doesn't mean it can't change. No plan will survive if it is set in stone. When in doubt, seek professional advice. Just remember, even lawyers have lawyers, and doctors go see doctors when they're sick. Slide. So here we have a video.
[a slide reading: "How Leadership Affects Planning: The Backwards guide to a planning timetable; Nothing happens by chance. If you failed to plan for it, theres a good chance it's going to happen." above a column listing "Ask yourself, what are we doing here, what is our goal? Assemble your team; Start planning; When in doubt, seek professional help" https://www.shrinersinternational.com/en/education; Shriner U logo, Shriners International Education Foundation logo]
Now, there are plenty of websites that offer free planning timetables and other things, but sometimes it's worth the investment to pay a professional that offers a comprehensive package. Once you've found a website or service you like, create a template so you can reuse it again and again. Remember, fail to plan, plan to fail. Having a poor plan at the start of the event is a lot like watching an avalanche. It starts off as exciting. Everyone can see it getting bigger and bigger, and then it becomes too late to stop, and it usually ends in complete disaster. It is the same with a poor plan. Everyone sees that the plan is not going as intended, except for the person who's leading the group, and they want it so desperately to succeed, but sooner or later, it's all going to come crashing down.
