Maureen Harms, associate general counsel at 3M Co., has been playing out recession-related scenarios in her mind.

She’s thought about head count and being strategic about filling open positions. She’s thought about deferring spending, leveraging new technology and reorganizing the way in which work is handled. She’s considered what the company might do with its offshore legal services center during the next financial downturn. 

Maureen Harms, associate general counsel of 3M Co.