"Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." --Bobby Knight
Is this the next SARS? Many agree that it is not the same threat and more are convinced that specific losses to personnel, will have significant long-term cascading effects on other operational risk factors.
And yet there is a standard and lessons learned waiting for any organization who wants to increase it's overall "Business Resilience", regardless of the origin of the "Virus."
Organizations who are now waving the panic flag for increased resources and funding to address the future of our current "Pandemic," should look closely at the behavior that drove them to the brink of another bug problem two decades ago, known as Y2K.
A world wide panic, millions of dollars invested in redesigning software applications and then at the apex of the millenium, a huge sigh of relief.
And in the after action reporting and for the next two years, an Internet revolution was born. Our applications were reengineered and the next generation of innovation was born, for companies to serve customers in ways they had never dreamed. We can do it all over again.
A strategic investment today in "Pandemic Planning" and Continuity of Operations, will have the long-term benefit of creating a stronger, resilient and more survivable organization. In fact, this time the emphasis will not be so "Tech-Centric" but "People-Centric".
Who is "Core" to our business? What processes are necessary to run the business and who are the people we really need to support those processes? Now is the time to truly understand your "Team of Teams".
Everytime you run a new preparedness exercise or test your contingencies, you are learning how and what, are the fundamental items that have been overlooked.
The real "Human Factors" are in play this time. That makes it more unpredictable and more unreliable.
More importantly, perhaps it becomes necessary to put your employees through some of the most stressful training they have ever had to endure. What if?
Imagine telling your "Core," they can't leave work for the next month, instead of ordering them to work remotely.
What people do you have on your team, that will give up that much time and isolation from their close family members? The fact is, you won't know, until you see them under fire.
You won't know, if all of the training and preparedness has made any difference, until you see your people perform under the most demanding and emotionally challenging circumstances.
You better start now. And you should be prepared to see some of the most shocking human behaviors you have ever witnessed.
The people you never expected to be heroes will be. The most brave and macho people on the outside are often the first to run and hide.
Fear is a phenomenon that enables some and paralyzes others. Your job is to find out how it affects those you choose to lead your organization, during the multiple waves of "Pandemic Attacks" just over the horizon...
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