"In any desperate situation, the temptation is always to act immediately. It's understandable, but unwise. No matter how bad things are, the first step is always the same, assess the threat and figure out how bad things really are."
Then respond accordingly.
This is a quote from Burn Notice and I agree with this point of view.
Preparedness is the ability to respond to crisis in a timely and appropriate manner. It does not require hype or exaggeration. The only time that we over-prepare for a situation is when we're not confident that we can respond as needed. We go to great lengths to make the necessary preparations to ensure that everyone and everything is where they should be when the crisis comes.
There is nothing wrong with being prepared, but being over prepared can have the opposite effect of what we're trying to achieve - which is to assure the safety of people. When you alert people too early to an impending crisis, you push them to a level of alertness that they will not be able to sustain for a long time. If the level of threat is not as severe as you made them picture it, or it doesn't come at the exact time that you predicted, the level of alertness will pass and your credibility will be questioned. They will relax and you would have lost their attention.
In the corporate environment, BCP or Business Continuity Planning should be simple, timely and most importantly, practiced. It is very difficult to convince businesses that Fire and Evacuation drills are important and should be regularly practiced and attended by employees. It is often seen as a nuisance and a waste of time, until disaster strikes and everyone is trying to direct everyone else, lost and confused. The worst thing that can happen in a disaster is to have untrained people giving direction in the middle of a crisis - and people unsure of what they need to do.
What is a good BCP plan then? How can we ensure PREPAREDNESS?
- The relevant teams should be internally prepared to respond at a moment's notice. Every member of the responding group should know their exact role in a crisis.
- Warnings should be given in a timely manner. Not too early, not too late.
- Threat levels should never be exaggerated. Discuss the possible scenarios and what the respective response should be and communicate clearly.
- Create simple manuals, restricted to 2 pages if possible, detailing the BCP plan for different scenarios. Keep the language simple and easy to understand.
- Post the contact details of the people who SHOULD be contacted in case of a crisis. These are the designated first responders and not just anyone with a high position.
- Practice BCP procedures regularly and involve the leaders of the organization.
- Be accurate and 100% sure when warning people of an impending crisis or disaster.
- Don't be the first to PANIC!
For an effective crisis management plan, internal preparedness is required. A sane and calm head is required. Timely communication is required. The readiness level should correspond to the crisis level accordingly.
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