Have you given any thought to BCP?

As we enter another potentially above-average hurricane season in the USA, while in the throes of a global pandemic, we must make sure we have a comprehensive and up-to-date Emergency Response Plan for our facilities. These are also known as Business Continuity Plans / Disaster Recovery Plans / Crisis Management Plans. At the very least, we should review them to ensure they are comprehensive, realistic, and in compliance with the applicable regulatory statutes.

"Leadership is paramount during a time of crisis, and its absence creates a chaotic environment for staff and devastating consequences for others within the workplace and community." Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Barker 2020

Here is a six-pack of Common Myths about Disasters and Preparedness.

MYTH #1: Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery / Crisis Management preparedness is too expensive and too complicated.

FACT: There are hundreds of simple and economical things to drastically improve your organization’s ability to deal with an emergency. All contingencies can be anticipated and planned into the response plan. The notion that it might be expensive or complicated has come from a fear of the unknown and companies that market unnecessary and over-priced equipment.

MYTH #2: Nothing like that could ever happen here or to us.

FACT: Though some areas of the country are more prone to certain types of disasters, the truth is that no place is entirely immune to disasters or general disruption. The #COVID19 pandemic has proved this. Proper preparation (including for pandemics) has been given much careful consideration and incorporated in business continuity plans for over a decade. Emergency Management Agencies, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and organizations of all types (i.e., international, federal, state, municipal, commercial, and non-profit) have produced guidance and regulatory requirements. Prepare accordingly.

MYTH #3: I don’t need to learn about emergency preparedness – my staff will take care of it.

FACT: Preparedness is critical for everyone, and we can’t rely on staff to convey its importance and to train on how to be plan properly without leadership.  With the occurrence of a disruptive event, success or failure will be a reflection on leadership, mainly when foreseeable events are not in the plan.  Following this pandemic, many organizations will continue to face a loss of confidence in leadership & management - due to their disengagement, lack of preparation, and a lack of empathy.

MYTH #4: We can get all the preparedness information we need for free off the Internet.

FACT: There are a lot of free sources that contain some excellent information. However, you should pick your sources carefully. A short-list of agencies & organizations to peruse for guidance would include FINRA, FEMA, FFIEC, FISMA, CMS, ISACA, BCI, DRJ, CC, and a few others (e.g., ISO 22301).

MYTH #5: If something happens, all I have to do is call 9-1-1, and someone will come to help us.

FACT: When a disaster strikes, help from local, city, county, state, or federal emergency personnel can only go so far or be there only so fast. Security and safety begin within the organization, and you cannot just assume help will be around the corner – do what you can to be prepared and self-sufficient while you wait.

MYTH #6: All I have to worry about is my family.

FACT: Technically, yes, but the more you can care for your own ‘family,’ the more you can help others. Helping others is our highest civic and social duty and one of the best ways to aid our staff, our communities, and our country.

The time is coming

Regulators, and soon likely insurers, will be looking for your emergency management plans - plan and records of walk-through, table-top exercise (TTX), training records & other exercises (FSX). Adoption of ISO 22301:2019 (Security and resilience - Business continuity management systems - Requirements) is the international standard for implementing and maintaining effective business continuity plans, systems, and processes the imposition of which shouldn't be far off.

It’s time to plan for the worst, hope for the best; but at the very least, let's get prepared!

About

Don Gleason has over 25 years of quality, program management, and performance excellence experience, including many years as a CIO and then as a CXO-adviser - providing business-IT strategies, as well as pragmatic and tactic advice - building, and executing business-centric technology strategy plans to deliver cost-effective, high-value solutions. He has a strong history and proven track record of turning around sub-optimal situations and equipping organizations with a competitive advantage through business process, technology innovation, and emergency preparedness. 

DGCpartners LLC - a small, innovative, veteran-owned, and independent management consulting firm helping clients gain control of situations, costs, and schedules for their most strategic initiatives. We build, drive, and mentor teams in best practices to ensure sustainable change management discipline, business transformation, and emergency preparedness success. Assess - Strategize - Select - Implement - Optimize

If you need help determining where to start, we will help you triage your situation, and together we can craft a management plan and make things happen. Give us a call today: 207.200.7650 so we can start the journey to sustaining success.

To get you started on the right path that uses your team to assure a sustainable transformation & change management - Reach out to me here on LinkedIn, Twitter, or through DGCpartners

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