Be prepared and aware with risk management

My nervousness around flying is well documented.

To me, it is the ultimate example of putting your faith in somebody else - a machine (which technically you couldn't understand fully) and, if you are inclined toward the supernatural, whichever deity you want to attach your spiritual well-being to.

The experience of flying also parallels the limitations to the control that you can have over your environment in any undertaking, let alone business.

Last Thursday was a particularly interesting day to be encased in a small, winged, metal cocoon. The weather wasn't the greatest and a bumpy ride awaited.

At these times, just as you would when you know what conditions await you, you can plan for what is ahead. In my case, I tend not to look out the window too much and concentrate on the papers I need to understand before my meeting.

If I have already digested these, then the headphones go on and I blast what little is left of my hearing with heavy metal music.

However, there are always the unknowns - those things or events that are difficult to prepare for or you think won't happen, but they do anyway.

In business, this is called risk management, and it's something that I am asked to do a lot for clients. By understanding the risks, you are better prepared should they eventuate.

Others take this a step further and produce plans (business continuity/ disaster recovery plans) which outline and test processes and controls which are in place to keep a business functioning during or after an event.

When I do this work, I research a client's industry and also bring to the table risks which have occurred in other related industries. The true value of getting assistance here is to be informed about the risks that you don't know about; in this way you can be aware and prepared.

Yesterday, in a workshop, the topic of pandemic planning came up.

Having written pandemic plans back in the mid-2000s, it would not surprise me if today's versions are completely different because of the swine flu and SARS epidemics and the learning that came from them.

Also, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria should be considered as an event which may negatively affect a business's ability to function.

On Thursday, I learned about a new form of turbulence caused by a leading larger plane disturbing the air in front of a smaller plane. While not uncommon, I now know there is a chance that I could experience it again.

It was a bit like being in a rollercoaster and unlikely to deter me from flying but, in terms of preparation for journeys, I may need to fill the iPod with more heavy metal music.