Have you, your team, colleagues or bosses had discussions about how work would continue if the business was impacted by natural disaster? This is a critical business decision every business would be wise to pursue in conjunction with their business planning.
Think about this week alone; earthquakes north of Los Angeles and north of Seattle and the 1st hurricane of the year touching down in Louisiana. This year, record rain and flooding have impacted the Midwest and south especially hard. The impact to people, communities and businesses hit the local/national economy, infrastructure and IT systems.
This map from NOAA shows the Billion Dollar events from January-June 2019.
Resiliency is an amazing trait. Yet, when we rely on resiliency alone to resume operations without having critical business discussions and making decisions in advance of needing them, the impact can be devastating.
Consider starting by identifying critical business functions, key employees, clients, suppliers and IT systems/support. Do you have operational back-up plans? Do you have contact lists for key employees, clients and suppliers? Are your system back-ups in various locations? If everything was “down” from a technology perspective, could functions be maintained and people contacted?
Living in China in the 1990’s taught me valuable lessons. Remember 9600 baud rates? That was real! The internet was new and our data systems were primitive in comparison to today. Operational, human and financial records were a mix of systems and paper. We used to laugh about the need of having Plans A, B, C and D. The “just in case theory” was implemented often as brown outs and power outages were common. Those experiences have remained in my memory.
I don’t know about you, but I much prefer order to chaos!
If this type of planning is new to you, consider your business (size and scope) and begin by creating plans for the following to get you started.
- People are at the crux of your business. Employees, clients and suppliers – establish how to contact them and how to support them. Everyone will be experiencing disruption
- Cash is king. Cash flow, meeting payroll and maintaining accounts receivable and accounts payable will make or break you
- Product or Service access. How accessible is what you make or how you serve? Business resumption is an area to begin considering now
- Productivity is enhanced by remote access. Are your people and IT systems ready for this?
- Recovery of physical property, inventory, machinery, vehicles, et al involves coordination with third parties. Do you know how to reach insurance people and/or community/national resources to facilitate rebuilding?
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Internal and external communication plans are critical during and after disruption. Practice this type of communication with company representatives often. Calm amidst a crisis is a learned skill
Planning for individuals and families matters. Providing a road-map for people in layperson language the 2019 edition of my book, The Living Planner – What to Prepare Now While You are Living is available for purchase on my website: https://thelivingplanner.com/offerings
Now is always a good time to pursue some proactive steps to care for your business and your people. When you’re ready for a second set of eyes, let’s talk. We’ll tackle those “life and work issues” with diligence and some fun along the way. Awareness of what’s at stake and what’s to gain is a powerful tool.
Reach out with questions via Email. Additional information is available upon request or on the website @ The Living Planner
#LifeAndBusinessIntersect #CareForPeopleCareForBusiness #StepUpStepIn