Beach Factor (term)

I have always disliked the phrase "Bus Factor (term)" for two main reasons:

It's incredibly morbid and it's about me dying (an extreme example where I'm no longer part of the company because I'm no longer part of the world).
It makes the problem about the company's needs and not how critical a single person is to the company.

My co-worker Duncan Smith said a great alternative: Beach Factor.

Beach factor is a way to determine if an individual could go on a long vacation without impact to the organization.

It's about the critical nature of restoration of an individual before it's about operability of a company (while still recognizing operability as important).

Next time you think to reach for "bus factor" (or hear a peer say "bus factor"), consider shifting the phrase and the paradigm towards a kinder, equally clarifying phrase: Beach Factor.

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