We live in uncertain times. We recently have experienced record high gasoline prices as well as shortages that made it almost impossible to purchase at any price (at least in my home town). The swine flu is reported to have killed 50 to 100 people worldwide, and we have been warned it could create a pandemic that would rival the 1918 Spanish flu. That tragedy occurred in an era before the advent of air transportation that can carry a virus strain to almost every point of the world within 24 hours. A few years ago, we witnessed a terrorist attack take down two major office towers in New York City. Not only were almost 3,000 people killed, but many businesses were devastated by losing their best and brightest. Maybe it is time to start rethinking the way we do business.

Swine Who?

I must admit, I did not pay much attention to the dire panic warnings that surrounded the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak. I continued to travel, and I continued to stay in hotels without taking any extraordinary measures. I did notice, with some amusement, individuals in airports wearing surgical masks and obsessively wiping that antibacterial stuff on their hands. I was reminded of trips I have taken to Third World countries. You always can tell the U.S. citizens by their continual and unrelenting use of hand sanitizer. You also can tell them because they call themselves "Americans," effectively negating the rest of the people who live in North and South America. Unless you have an immune deficiency disease, there is a good chance you can survive a trip to Central America without immersing yourself in ethyl alcohol–or not. Anyway, my point is this: What if the swine flu panic had been real? What if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had recommended or mandated everyone stay home unless an emergency made it necessary to leave home? If your knowledge workers were unable to travel to their central office locations, would they be able to perform their essential corporate duties?