A storm can happen at any time…
Is your business prepared? Listen here
Storm clouds can appear at any time and with little notice…for some the outcome can be catastrophic, yet with some robust planning, the end outcomes can be very often mitigated.
Every business should have a “Disaster Recovery Plan.”
This should include a set of clear guidelines and detailed instructions on how to act before, during, and after a disaster in order to minimize its negative impact on your organization, and resume mission-critical operations.
First of all, you first need to identify the threats and dangers to which your organization is most vulnerable. By performing a risk assessment and business impact analysis, you can identify the most likely threats and dangers, assess the probability of their occurrence, and calculate the possible impact of a disaster on your business. As a result, you can come up with effective prevention and mitigation measures and decide what your plan should include.
You also need to consider the objectives of your plan…the amount of time required to recover from a disaster and resume business operations.
Similarly, who will be responsible for implementing the plan, when the metaphoric “storm clouds hit.” This is vital to ensure that panic does not take over, as opposed to the implementation of a plan, and where each person knows their role. The communication of this is vital, to avoid any confusion during an actual disaster and ensure that every item on your disaster recovery plan checklist is realised.
Communication is critical. Change can be unsettling, particularly when unexpected catastrophes happen. What is your communication plan? How do you implement and communicate the plan? How will your staff feel?
Loss of control, uncertainty and shock are all elements of the upset that can occur during time of change and then throw in the potential disaster that may have hit your business.
Plan…prepare…communicate…execute. Having a plan will give you a template to work from, while giving you confidence that you can still have control.
How robust is your plan?
There’s always another storm. It’s the way the world works. Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms. Some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, but you have to keep an eye on what’s brewing for tomorrow.
Maria.v.Synder