ForConstructionPros.com

Would your company be able to handle the unexpected loss of one of its managers? The sudden departure of a high-level employee is not something any organization wants to face, whether the individual suddenly resigns from the company - or worse.

Unfortunately, we recently encountered the "or worse" scenario with the sudden death of our national sales director, Phil Merrick, at the age of 50. Phil was a good friend and "big brother" to many of us who worked with him during his 24-year tenure at Cygnus Business Media. He was also a valued employee with years of knowledge and relationships that will be very difficult to replace.

With Phil's untimely passing, we found out first hand how hard it can be to pick up the pieces when the unthinkable occurs. Once the initial shock and grief passes, you're faced with the reality of trying to make sure the work left behind still gets done and clients' needs are met. At the same time, you're trying to come to grips with your own personal sense of loss.

We've been lucky in that Phil left his "house" in pretty good order, enabling us to adapt fairly quickly. Yet, it's a hard lesson - you have to be prepared for what seems unthinkable.

If you were faced with this situation, how might you cope? Would you have the personnel in place with the knowledge and experience to take over that individual's responsibilities? Would they be able to effectively continue or complete the work that had been started? Would you be able to access critical files, data or contacts?