Being prepared for all potential critical events is not an easy task. The risk exposure that could affect the organization and its operations is directly proportional to how knowledgeable you are about your surroundings– and how to respond appropriately. A well-managed risk and crisis response can invigorate stakeholders, rebuild confidence in the organization, protect personnel, and sustain and strengthen operations. This article sums up five essential lessons to help in crisis planning for 2022
1. Pre-planning is the key
The pre-crisis response planning should address all core capabilities and include relevant resources to reduce the potential for human, material, or environmental losses caused by a critical event. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), around 40% of small businesses never reopen after a critical event strikes. Having a pre-crisis response plan in place might not prevent the worst-case scenario, but it could increase a business’s chances of survival! Remember that pre-disaster planning can pay off down the road. It is essential to take the time and effort to construct comprehensive plans if you hope to avoid unwelcome interruptions in business operations.
2. Continuous assessment provides better results
The lesson learned about pre-crisis planning highlights the importance of communication during a critical event and how managers and C-levels should evaluate the effectiveness of their plans. Once the pre-crisis response plan is set, a continuous process entails a regular collection and analysis of data to assist in timely decision making. It's crucial to check whether activities are being executed according to the defined plan.
The most fundamental assessment of a plan's effectiveness is how fast it gets an organization back to normal operations after major critical events. This is what really matters because when a business is down, this gets translated into euros and cents.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), around 40% of small businesses never reopen after a critical event strikes. Having a pre-crisis response plan in place might not prevent the worst-case scenario, but it could increase a business’s chances of survival! Remember that pre-disaster planning can pay off down the road.
3. Situational awareness leads to business resilience
Any critical event, whether it is small or big, can affect business scalability and resilience. Having situational awareness of the evolving situations can improve your emergency response preparation which comprehensively helps in mitigating risks and encouraging business continuity.
Situational awareness means being mindful of the surroundings– and combining that with the pre-knowledge to determine how a critical event may evolve. Having this perception shapes the levels of situational awareness and preserves business continuity.
Why?
The focus of affected businesses is mitigating risk, protecting personnel, and preserving their reputation. It is essential to respond quickly when enough information is obtained. Response teams will gather more information as time moves, but the available options to respond will reduce as time goes by.
What?
Yes, we are thrilled to do so and already recommend RAYVN every time we plug a customer into the platform. Yes, RAYVN speaks for itself!
How?
It is recommended to have ready-made emergency response templates that help you define crucial aspects to support shared situational awareness, such as core crisis management team, action cards, incident log, etc. This is certainly no less important than having an in-place crisis management tool that promotes real-time communication as a key player for effective situational awareness.
The most fundamental assessment of a plan's effectiveness is how fast it gets an organization back to normal operations after major critical events. This is what really matters because when a business is down, this gets translated into euros and cents.
4. Aim for clear communication
The fundamental pillar during crisis time can be summed up in one word: transparency. A constant rhythm of communication is needed to keep both employees and external stakeholders informed about the current situation and your team’s actions to mitigate it. The last thing you want is a communications blackout, giving rise to excessive speculation and further uncertainty. Make sure your messaging is finely harmonized and unified before communicating.
5. Tabletop exercise is a skill builder
A tabletop exercise (TTX) is a simulated, interactive exercise that tests an organization’s emergency preparedness and enhances response skills. Beyond providing a low-cost, low-risk, and highly effective way to evaluate emergency response plans or contingency plans, well-designed tabletop exercises help personnel understand their role in an emergency, providing a safe space to think critically about potential scenarios and best practices.
For safety and business continuity leaders, tabletop exercises also provide peace of mind and confidence, assuring that key personnel are well trained and prepared in advance to face critical events as there is no time for learning curves in a crisis!
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A tabletop exercise (TTX) is a simulated, interactive exercise that tests an organization’s emergency preparedness and enhances response skills. Beyond providing a low-cost, low-risk, and highly effective way to evaluate emergency response plans or contingency plans, well-designed tabletop exercises help personnel understand their role in an emergency, providing a safe space to think critically about potential scenarios and best practices.
