Disturb. Disrupt. Divide.You know how when you place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your hotel room door when you leave for the day, you expect that nobody has come in to clean your room? That should be your expectation, and if it’s not then you need to find another hotel!
We as business owners might sometimes try to put out that same sign for our business. We want to move straight ahead with our big plans for growth and prosperity. It’s full speed ahead and damn those torpedoes, right?
The problem is that torpedoes regularly come barging through your door not clean up, but to disturb, disrupt, and divide. And if you’re not careful, to conquer you and your business or career.
The latest “disruptor” is the Coronavirus (COVID 19) that is still plaguing the world and economy. I’ve heard and read some people dismiss it as no more than the flu citing the limited number of deaths. I believe that’s too short-sighted a viewpoint. This isn’t about widespread death, it’s about disruption. While the healthy body may be able to recover, what about the business that has been adversely affected by the disruption and disturbance caused?
But we shouldn’t focus our attention on just COVID 19. The reality is that this crisis will pass, and another disruptor will follow. That’s life. The problem is that these other disruptors seem common, so we just deal with them as they come. Unfortunately, that can cause more harm than you might think.
Every crisis – regardless of severity – must attend to three areas for any company: People, Process, and Supply Chain.
People is about how your employees will be affected. Can they become sick (as in the Coronavirus or flu); could they be laid off due to lack of work; is decreased employee morale a concern?
Process is about your internal operation. Will a disruptor damage equipment (e.g. fire); will your reputation be damaged (e.g. product recall); and/or will you lose the ability to connect to the Internet or communicate with customers (e.g. loss of power for an extended time).
Supply chain is about the most critical vendors and contractors to your operations. What happens if they suffer a fire and can’t operate? What if they lose the ability to sustain manufacturing operations and your inventory will be decreased? What if they have a crisis where they can’t buy from you because they are merely trying to survive?
While most of the country was focused on Coronavirus concerns and Super Tuesday results for the presidential election, a deadly tornado near Nashville became a disruption, divider, and disturbance in just minutes. People, process, and supply chain were all impacted, not only to those poor people and businesses directly hit, but also likely to those outside the area that depend on them.
I’m going to say it again for the second week in a row. Every business needs a thoughtful, intentional, written and communicated Business Continuity Plan. I met on Friday for 90 minutes with a client to update theirs in the face of the current situation. The work we did not only will deal with the current crisis, but any similar calamity in the future.
If you just simply want to talk about your situation, call or write to me. This is too important to your people, clients and continued ability to sustain business.
This disruptor will be in the rear view mirror at some point. But another door-kicker will follow. Will you be ready to fight back?
Be unleashed.
Quote of the Day:
“What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
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