Why do some companies survive a major crisis, and some don’t? How do they survive, if at all? Close calls and near misses are not that uncommon in the business world, but how do companies actually deal with them? The Harvard Business Review Paperback Series are not written for us academics and researchers, but for the professional manager seeking executive perspectives and solutions, and this is a book with essays that “based on a true story”,  told by those who lived to tell how they survived a major crisis.

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Sixty years of proud Swedish car manufacturing gone: SAAB is no more. I always wanted to have one, but I never got around to buying my own SAAB.  When GM bought SAAB in 1989, who would have thought that it would take no more than 20 years for SAAB to disappear? A true Black Swan event? SAAB is history, but what will happen to its supply chain? The ripple-effect criss-crossing the now defunct supply chain will potentially affect  61,000 jobs all over Sweden, and many suppliers and sub-suppliers and other businesses wholly dependent on SAAB will have to dig up their business continuity plans.

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Ken Simpson’s Contemplating… blog is a new addition to blogs catering to the business continuity segment. Ken’s first post is dated November 20th this year, but I think it is already a must read for the business continuity professional seeking a wider perspective on what resilience actually means. Ken is always on the lookout for anything he can relate to resilience and this is a management consultant not using his blog for soliciting potential customers, but for truly sharing his knowledge and for engaging his readers. Kudos to Ken for deciding to take up blogging!

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It is only recently that I discovered the Harvard Business Review Paperback series, a collection of short-read and easy-understood fundamental business insights, written by leading scholars and industry professionals. The Harvard Business Review on Managing External Risk is no exception. This book summarizes the essence of executive risk management in an excellent manner. You don’t need to have an MBA to be enable to enjoy this book, common sense and curiosity about the inner workings of business decisions are enough.

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Today is an important day in my home country, Norway. Some Mr. Barack Obama comes for a visit to collect some Nobel Peace Prize, creating all sorts of havoc in the transportation system of our small capital along the way. I have a couple of friends who are flying out from Oslo airport this morning, five minutes before the scheduled arrival of said honored guest. I bet they and many other travellers will expect some heavy delays this morning.

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