It’s morbid, but I’d suggest you assume your assistant is going to be hit by a truck sometime today.

She survived, but she won’t be coming back to work. For purposes of my story, let’s assume that she’s in a coma for a few months. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.

You can’t talk to her. You can’t e-mail her. You can’t communicate with her in any way at all.

Are You Ready?

• What’s the password for her computer?
• What’s her e-mail password?
• What’s her voicemail password?
• What’s on her calendar for tomorrow?
• What’s the status of your various deadlines?
• What’s her husband’s phone number?
• How does she bill the clients?
• What’s the password for the bank account?
• What’s the name of your contact at the bank?
• Who is your contact at the clerk’s office?
• How does she download forms from the court website?
• Where are the client documents saved on the computer?

What if you get the call right now? Are you ready?

This is a test. This is only a test. But it might not always be a test.