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As I write this, I’m surrounded by destruction and devastation. Here in Agoura Hills, California, we are on the fringe of an evacuation area as wildfires have decimated 1000’s of homes and businesses in Pacific Palisades and spread west through Malibu. We don’t have electricity and we work from home using a generator. My husband and business partner is currently interviewing people in one of the corners of the house. I’m elsewhere, interacting with my team members and clients, many of whom have been personally affected by this, the worst wildfire disaster in Southern California history.
In the meantime, as I engage in more mundane and routine business activities, similar to reviewing last 12 months’s annual reports and working with marketing partners to create recent messaging campaigns, I’m filled with immense gratitude for the business I have built and my ability to pursue it even in such extraordinary times. circumstances. With a fire raging practically on our doorstep, it’s all quite simple, but it is also one way or the other comforting, allowing me to place aside all my fear and anxiety and focus on what I do best: shutting up and doing my job.
Our resilience and perseverance in this difficult moment didn’t come by accident. We, nevertheless, have taken steps to be sure that our steadfastness in the face of disaster becomes an integral a part of our corporate culture.
Here are some key strategies for maintaining business continuity in a world where natural disasters are becoming more common.
1. Understand the deeper needs of your employees in times of crisis
When a disaster strikes, your employees may experience a number of physical effects and can even process the event very in a different way from individual to individual on a psychological and emotional level. As a boss and leader, they’ll expect you to set the tone for perseverance in the face of disaster. It’s great that you simply sent out an email with the latest updates and that your evacuation plan is posted at headquarters, but your job is not done yet.
While your top priority is safety, your leadership at this point also includes caring for the mental and spiritual well-being of your employees. Do this by holding individual or group “check-in meetings” to debate the impact of the disaster on your employees and the people they care about. Make sure they know how to access available mental health resources. For example, some employers provide worker assistance programs (EAP) that include lower-cost or free counseling services. In addition to practical disaster and emergency response resources, make sure to share with your team uplifting and inspiring content that shows the strength and resilience of your community in motion as they reply to an impending disaster.
What I’m currently trying to emphasise when talking to my employees is that, above all, nothing is more vital than the safety and well-being of our family members. And like every other moment and event in life, these times of devastation won’t last perpetually. Be grateful for all the things you have. Take a deep breath. We will get through this.
2. Understand your paths to maximum resilience
An organization’s resilience depends on how quickly it can restore core operations after a disaster. The key to maximizing resilience is maintaining performance excessively what is required for basic operations. Simply put, consider cloud storage capability various across several service providers. If your organization backs up its files to multiple drives in the cloud, the failure of one drive won’t disrupt normal operations.
Put simply, a company that maintains an emergency fund will probably be more financially agile in the face of a disaster than a company that lives paycheck to paycheck. Understand your ability to keep up core services, then invest in the resources that may enable you to perform above your baseline.
3. Plan. Plan. Plan.
It doesn’t have to be difficult and there is no must reinvent the wheel. There are free tools available to enable you to assess the risks in your business and plan accordingly. A comprehensive preparation guide can be found in “Business-EZ open toolkit” from the Business and Home Security Insurance Institute. Once you fully understand your risks and the business continuity needs of your business, you will probably be higher prepared to take further proactive steps, similar to:
- Research appropriate insurance options that meet your organization’s unique risk profile and cover the value of assets which may be damaged or lost as a results of natural disasters that are almost definitely to affect your business where you reside.
- Raise awareness of the disaster relief grants and loans your business may qualify for.
- Understanding the vulnerabilities of buildings, vehicles and equipment used to run your business. How might disasters common to your area affect these resources?
- Establish an emergency fund to assist your business survive difficult times.
- Wondering if a gasoline-powered generator or other backup power source is a good investment?
4. Keep your customers informed
It is vital to tell customers of a natural disaster or other event that will result in service interruptions. Poor customer communication resulting in unmet expectations can make a disaster worse than it must be. Keep them informed about the impact on your business and ongoing recovery efforts. If you can afford it, go the extra mile: offer special discounts and promotions to customers affected by a natural disaster. This will enable you to receive good feedback and establish your popularity as a responsible corporate citizen.
As we proceed to fight this historic disaster in Southern California, my company, CorpNet, is doing all the things we can to support the community we serve and call home. We mobilized our employees and customers to affix us in donating to the foundation the Red CrossCalifornia Wildfire Relief Fund and Los Angeles County Fire Department. We share and promote these giving opportunities, each as a practical solution to reply to a disaster, but also as a solution to encourage our team members and clients to keep up their mental health during this distressing time by giving back, connecting and supporting the community during this time of need .
Remember, whether you prefer it or not, there are those that look to you for leadership and inspiration. The way you run your business – and the way you treat the individuals who enable you to run it – says a lot. Strive to build a company that sets the standard for compassion, preparedness and resilience in difficult times.