Predictions for the future of terrorism, growing expectations among American workers since 9/11, and practical guidelines for preparing your business and your family in the event of a disaster were the core topics presented by Bruce Blythe, founder and CEO of Crisis Management International (CMI), at the latest Catalyst Summit on risk.

Risk implies the potential for danger and consequence, and Blythe is not stranger to either. He has trekked deep into the jungle of Ecuador to save kidnapping victims and hostages. After Hurricane Andrew, Blythe's firm provided relief to 28 companies, simultaneously. He assisted after the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, helped businesses recover from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and following the 9/11 attacks, he and his firm assisted more than 200 companies and government entities.

Blythe also has served as an expert source for numerous news outlets including CNN, CBS, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Business Week, Fast Company, Smart Money, and USA Today, and he is the author of Blindsided: A Manager's Guide to Catastrophic Incidents in the Workplace.

"While disaster can come from many places, [terrorism] seems foremost on people's minds," said Blythe. When a disaster hits, it affects the core assets of any organization. First and foremost, that can mean people, he said. "[Disaster] can also affect your reputation. It can affect your business operation. It can affect your facility, and financially it's a hit."

According to Blythe, 2002 was a year of preparedness. "I'm aware of at least one national law firm that is now in the process of putting together a literal opinion about what companies should be doing to be prepared," he said. "The new legal term I've come across if 'the negligent failure to plan.' That is, companies that are not taking the time to really take a look at their obligations to be prepared for crises and disasters may very well be found negligent."

Expectations among American workers of employers' preparedness increased dramatically in 2002, according to Blythe. "There is a strong, unspoken expectation out there," explained Blythe. "Number one is that if something bad happens, employees expect that employers will have done something at this point in time to be prepared to respond, particularly to the human side. Sure, the employer needs to take care of the assets and the shareholder value or an organization, but what about the people?

"The second thing is, besides being prepared in the event that something happens, [employees will question] 'what has management done to prevent this from happening," he continued.

Planning is not only possible but imperative. "Most crises don't come out of the blue," suggested Blythe. "They may seem like it at the time, but most are predictable." Risk is something people choose to disassociate from, however, we must "purposely open our minds" and ask, "What would I do, if?" "Take a look at your foreseeable risks, form the probable to the severe," he said, adding that composing a plan, as well as a contingency plan, is key to surviving a crisis. "I know it's not pleasant, but certainly you do have a sense of calm assurance that once you think about these things, you'll be in a much better position."

"Clearly, security has moved to the forefront of the minds of many business leaders. "Security departments have really risen to the top. There are new C-level positions now, like chief security officer, and while there have been many cutbacks in other areas of organizations," he maintains, "Security budgets seem to be going up across the board."