Crisis Management and Business Continuity

Depending on which experts you consult, business continuity is part of an overall strategic crisis management plan, or crisis management is a component of a business continuity plan. Whichever you believe, the two are certainly intertwined and both are critical to an organization's resumption of operations after a disruption and to how well the organization makes that happen. This week's articles focus on crisis management and may provide you with some ideas on improving your crisis management plans.

The terms business continuity trends and crisis management are thrown around a lot, and many are under the mistaken impression that the two have the same meaning. (Item #1)     Preparing for the unseen calls for versatility; it is the very foundation of organizational crisis management. (Item #2)     Crisis management and business continuity plans must be expanded from isolated company-specific disasters to plans for massive regional damage. (Item #3)    

Crisis management will get you through the initial impact of a disaster, but you need a comprehensive business continuity program to sustain you beyond 48 hours. (Item #4)     Major breaches will have a detrimental effect on a company. (Item #5)     Can military principles and processes really be applied to corporate crisis management? (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Business Continuity Trends Versus Crisis Management

Any organization which imagines that a business continuity plan makes them "crisis prepared" is due for a big surprise. Business continuity is just one element of strategic crisis management, and failure to recognize this reality can leave organizations dangerously vulnerable to operational and reputational risk.
http://www.missionmode.com/blog/crisis-management-is-not-the-same-as-business-continuity/

2. A Blueprint for Crisis Management

Organizations face difficult decisions daily. As the development of new technology outpaces our ability to fully understand its impact, and as global reach relentlessly stretches organizational capabilities, "firefighting" becomes a way of life for many, especially those in management. Some believe that these daily decisions are crises; generally, however, they are not. The reason is that they do not threaten the organization's viability, which is the distinguishing feature of an organizational crisis. A true crisis, if improperly managed, can destroy an organization.
http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/a-blueprint-for-crisis-management/

3. Crisis Management and Disaster Planning for Employers

Employers can be brought to their knees temporarily or permanently by all manner of emergencies -- natural disasters, power outages, mass transit strikes, and even contagious diseases such as swine flu. Large-scale crises pose legal issues that must be considered and addressed by HR and management. Employers must plan ahead if they expect to survive these emergencies and keep their businesses running.
http://topics.hrhero.com/crisis-management-disaster-planning-for-employers

4. Business Continuity Goes Beyond Crisis Management

A good crisis management plan will get you through the initial impacts of a major event, but to effectively address large-scale disasters and their aftermath, today's complex organizations need a comprehensive business continuity management (BCM) program that can sustain them longer than the first 48 hours. A well-designed program will see your company through the crisis and on to the restoration of operations and the preservation of your brand.
http://www.baselinemag.com/business-continuity/business-continuity-goes-beyond-crisis-management

5. Crisis Management in Today's Business Environment: HR's Strategic Role

Today's business environment requires a robust, enterprise-wide plan to deal with unexpected crises. Company reputation and brand, as well as the trust and loyalty of stakeholders, are all critical factors in the background of crisis management. At the helm, HR leaders play a strategic role in organizational sustainability to contribute tangible deliverables through advance preparation, including safety and security initiatives, leadership development, talent management and solid communication plans to support crisis management.
https://www.shrm.org/research/articles/articles/documents/1205rquartpdf.pdf

6. What military leadership teaches us about leadership in a corporate crisis

Managing crises is, hopefully, a rare experience for most organizations. For the armed forces it's part of their daily lives. Crisis management terms that are bandied around in corporate circles (tactics, strategy, exercising, war-gaming) are well rehearsed techniques and practices deployed by the armed forces to manage life and death situations. But can military principles and processes really be applied to corporate crisis management? With the 'command and control' approach to management in disrepute, it would be easy to assume that what works in the armed forces would backfire in the commercial world.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/index.php/news/business-continuity-news/209-feature1308