The Business Case to Prepare
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The business case for personal preparedness Why employee preparedness is important to your bottom line
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Disasters are inevitable, the outcomes aren't. Our subconscious does it's best to distract us from taking objective view on future risks. Anyone who gets passed the psychological block can see that it is easy to avoid loss when actions that can reduce disruption are taken in advance. Unfortunately, they often don't recognize that others just can't see that. Motivating a company to prepare won't work by just trying to point out the existence of future risks, you need to build a strong business case.
Transcript of The Business Case to Prepare
The business case for personal preparedness
Why employee preparedness is important to your bottom line
Carol Dunn 2Resilience City of Bellevue Emergency Preparedness Division Previous
American Red Cross: Serving King & Kitsap Counties Program Manager Community Disaster Education
Ernst & Young, London International Privatization, former Soviet Union Change Management Business Process Re-engineering Financial Modeling, Feasibility Studies
MSc Management Boston University, London
Today
With Today’s Competition, every person is essential
Increasing Resiliency through adopting Company Wide Best Practices
Steps you can take to grow resiliency within your organization
Large or small, you are your people
Competition: Essential or goneKnowledgeTechnical skillsTrainingRelationships
Planning for Disasters is Good Business
Risks of being caught by surprise: 43% small businesses never reopen. Of those that do
reopen, only 29 % are still operating two years later
Benefits to Risk Reduction Activities $1 mitigation $4 saving to society Long term reduction of risks can lower insurance Reduced Loss of Capital
Business Suffers when employees can’t work
Productivity Project Timelines Sales Client Care Relationships Internal Services: Payroll
Disasters are inevitable….
Disasters are inevitable….
…The outcome entirely up to us
Degree of disruption Level of difficulty recovering
Degree of Disruption
Ability to get to work Transportation disruptions Dangerous conditions Structural damage-work or home Care Giving Obligations
Ability to Access Information Potential Data Loss
Ability to Communicate
Difficulty Recovering
Individuals have risk of long term difficulties:Self or loved one in mortal dangerFeeling no where to turn for help, no one
offeredForced RelocationLoss of economic security
Up to 43% population after large disaster
Possible Long Term Effects
Depression Absenteeism Reduced performance Long Term Health Effects
Avoid long term trauma by reduce the likelihood of employees being traumatized
Risks Identified and Reduced Adequate coping resources Access to critical needs Plan for caring for core support network A job to go back to
Adopt business process best practices Leadership Communication and Data Internal Services Human Resource Management
Leadership
Clarity Provide guidance on expectations:
What functions need to continue, how will it be done if the office can’t be used; who will do what if key individuals can’t make it to work, or if access to supplies or data are blocked.
Provide information on post-disaster steps to take to re-establish communication and access help
An expectation that individuals will have plans and have taken steps to be ready for disruptions
Employment Policies
Flexibility-Increase ways people can work:Cross Functional Teams Locations
Different branches/offices Home Office Suites/Virtual Offices
Hours: Flexibility
Communication and Data
Increase ways to access Data:VPN, Shared Servers, Off site data storage
Increased ways employees can communicatePhone, cell phone, email, text/messaging,
internet, website, teleconferencing, Employee Networks, Automated Emergency Check In, Emergency Hot Line
Internal services
Payroll-Move away from issuing checks Electronic Debit Cards
Employee Tracking Give Employees a way to contact you if main number
is disrupted Phone lists, company credit card activity, log-ins Have a plan for Needs Response
Human Resource Management
Orientation: Establish expectation of personal preparedness with
tools to help. Explain policies and resources during disruptions
Relocation Support: Provide hazard information with relocation support Welcome gift: Disaster Supplies Kit
Employee Support and Development Employee Health Plans: Build Emotional Resilience
Pre Disaster access to counseling and support Train Coping Skills
Encourage Post Disaster Counseling Special Funds: Disaster Fund Employee Networks:
Discussion Sites, CERT Groups, Care Networks, Resource Sharing
Training and Education: Include Disaster Response Skills, Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, CPR
Service Delivery
Integrating risk reduction into service delivery adds value for customers/clients
Convey expectations to suppliers that they must demonstrate their plan to handle disruptions
Strategic Planning
Mindfully Move AheadHazard Assessment always included with
planning: don’t locate in dangerous areas without a safe structure—don’t assume!
No new systems that don’t have built in redundancy and protections
After a Disruption
Provide a safe harbor-family, animals Be a source of information: what to expect, what resources are
available Emphasize that you are an active part of the communities recovery Encourage people to talk: provide support about what to emotions
everyone can expect Remember that the experience continues after the media focus Be flexible—get people back and working, but don’t expect them to
act as if the event never happened, don’t count time away
Making it happen
Start by finding business activities that are ‘almost there’
Introduce the concepts based on the business benefits, best practice examples
Find ways to make things easy
