When turning the page of a book, you can never know for sure what’s coming next. 2020 has had a similar ring to it. We are living through an era of health, political, and race urgencies. People nervously joke about seeing UFOs soon, but in reality, no one knows what is coming, or how to prepare. The only thing we know is that to be ready for what’s next; we need to expect the unexpected.
The Business Continuity in Times of Crisis episode on the BBBs National Programs' >Better Series podcast presents Bob Mellinger, the CEO of Attainium Corp, who reminds us that it’s never too late to plan. Mellinger suggests a combination of communication, planning, and practiced protocol as essential measures for effective crisis management.
Dwight Eisenhower, in preparing for D-Day noted that, “In preparing for battle I always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” The crisis mindset is unparalleled, and whatever the disruption may be, this mentality in planning will prove priceless.
Mellinger discusses the importance of both business continuity and compliance in times of crisis. He reminds us that if you do business continuity right, it can help make organizations more efficient across the board. Preparing for crises involves reviewing the business process and investigating it from multiple perspectives. This makes business more resilient, and planning for these issues leads to fewer surprises when emergency strikes.
It is easy to get caught up in the middle of a crisis. Being in stressful situations often makes it easy to forget critical factors and creates stumbling blocks to suitable solutions. That is why thinking through responses in advance is crucial for conducting business as usual.
While no one likes to take the time to prepare for disruptions that may never occur, taking a good, hard look at your business and establishing guidelines equips organizations to handle emergencies, promotes compliance, and is the best way to prepare for the unknown.
We may not know if the next curveball 2020 has in store for us is indeed a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion. Here's what we do know: to prepare for the unknown, we must expect the unexpected, and plan accordingly.