Harvard ManageMentor — MANAGING
CRISES TOOLS

The 10 Worst Things That Could Happen List

Some managers find
it helpful to create and have available a list of the ten worst things that
could happen at work and what they would do about them. Use this tool to
record your own list or have a team or work group develop their list.

Situation

What I/We Would Do About It

1.

The team is unable to reach
its monetary goal from visiting local businesses.

The team will visit
additional local businesses on another date to reach our monetary goal set
for the objective.

2.

The weather makes a car
wash unavailable.

The team will stand in
front of Publix and ask for donations while informing passing customers of
Boys Town.

3.

The team is unable to raise
the set funds during the car wash.

The team will hold another car
wash on a later date to make up for the lost funds.

4.

The team is unable to get
permission from Publix to raise funds outside the store.

The team will ask Wal-Mart
to promote Boys Town and ask for donations outside of the store.

5.

The team does not reach the
goal set for raising funds outside of Publix.

The team will go to another
Publix the next day to make up for unmet funds.

6.

The team is unable to find
a local restaurant to hold a promotional night to benefit Boys Town.

The team will hold the
promotional night at Lac Viet Bistro.

7.

The team does not meet the
monetary goal set for the restaurant night.

The team will hold another
restaurant night at another local business the next week.

8.

The project manager has a
sudden obligation preventing them from fulfilling their duties (i.e. sudden
family crisis).

The teammate most willing and
the most knowledge about the project will act as vice project manager.

9.

If a team member fails to
show up at the Publix event.

The team members’
failure to show up will result in a poor peer evaluation.

10.

Rebounderz does not have a
date available for the capacity needed for Boys Town.

The team would take the
children and staff  to Full-screen

Semoran Skate Way.

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