akela1Today I chaired an internal meeting on business continuity, the jargon term for crisis management. We have been steadily putting in place a policy that should enable us to keep core functions going under most circumstances. The meeting today was to look at what we might need to do in the autumn if the swine flu pandemic continues as it seems set to. We were not looking at cataclysmic scenarios (none of that Will Smith in a deserted New York stuff) but we know already that we may have to deal with mass absences. Precautions, hygiene, communication, vigilance; they’re all part of the overall package. Suddenly, back into my mind came the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared! As the cubs always replied to Akela, ‘We’ll do our best!’