Power Play: Always have a Plan B

Shrewd Power Players always have a Plan B in their back pocket, an exit strategy or trapdoor if things go south.

A Plan B should never be openly discussed – the theory is that you’ll never have to use it, but it needs to be in place all the same.

The lesson from Power Players is this: have a contingency plan in place for that proverbial rainy day. It’s smart and cool to be prepared, and the best Power Players never walk into a room without a Plan B.

The story

I made a recommendation to a client that unfortunately turned out to be completely wrong.

My Plan B was hooking them up with a company that could solve their problem, and I refunded their money, too. I also told them that if they weren’t happy with the new company I’d find them another one.

They were happy, and many years later they came back to me for another project; this time I got it right.

My Plan B got me a beautiful (and lucrative) Plan A many years later.