Last week I was working with clients on their Business Continuity Plans. Helping them to prepare.
In a past life, I remember sitting in long old planning meetings thinking ‘why are we writing this?’ ‘this is SOOOO unlikely’ ‘ this will never happen’. Sadly, we seem to be at the point when those plans need to be activated and very carefully thought through. Preparation really is the key this week.
Those businesses that plan ahead, communicate with their customers and their staff, forecast the scenarios and the potential effects, will be stronger for it.
Some things to consider:
What are the most crucial processes you have? Rank them and prioritise the most important.
Who can do them? Who needs training now to give you a back up?
Where are the procedures / guides / instructions kept? Can everyone access them?
What are the alternative ways of delivering your service, so you can keep going?
What messages are you sending to your staff and your customers?
Do your people know what to do and how to tell you about things that are going on? Create a set of FAQ’s so people hear the consistent messages.
What is your position on certain policy matters – when to work from home for example? Make sure you are consistent across your teams.
What data will you be collating and who needs it? Financial / Client data / Staff data.
What events and meetings do you have in the next 3 months - who will decide whether they go ahead? Can they be done remotely?
Do you have contact numbers for your team members?
What is the potential impact on supply chain / staff being off / government curfew?
Are you ready?