I’d be remiss on the last Monday of National Preparedness Month if I didn’t spend a little time providing my own public service announcement on readiness and preparedness. While not the most glamorous topic in the world, it becomes very important when it becomes important.
We spend every day managing risk yet, never really think about it. Many people drive to work and take routes based on time and safety concerns. Your GPS is a risk management tool diverting you from traffic problems that could cause the “peril” of you being late to an important meeting. We wear seat belts for two risk management factors – physical safety if involved in an accident and monetary loss for paying a ticket for non-compliance. We even make preparedness decisions in the type of vehicles we purchase for comfort (avoiding the peril of discomfort), style (reputation and brand), and fuel consumption (money).
Unfortunately, complacency sets in and leads to perilous behaviors. We’ve become so good at the skill of driving a car that we get caught in the trap of distraction. Some people believe they can drive while texting; while eating; while holding a phone to their ear; while putting on makeup; while speeding; and while a dog sits on their lap. Distracted driving has become more hazardous than driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Yet it’s become hard for our generation of people of all ages to eliminate this hazard.
We often run our companies the same way. After years of producing the same product or services, we can become complacent as an organization. The perils here all fall under a form of risk management because they endanger growth, operations, and profitability. Complacency within an organization regularly result in increased employee injuries, higher employee turnover, a reduction in sales, poor decision-making, and loss of reputation and brand value. Ultimately, the risk to avoid here is owning or being a part of a company that is in decline and losing value.
Since my Monday missives are meant to be more inspirational, allow me to end on such a note. The good news is we each have control of our own destiny. We can choose to take steps to better readiness and preparedness in our families and businesses. There is plenty of great information at our fingertips on how to best protect our homes, families, finances, and businesses from all sorts of calamities.
Here’s some light homework for your week. As you prepare to embark on the final quarter of 2018, invest some time in looking at your personal and professional readiness and preparedness. What positive steps can you take to assure your family’s well being in the vent of a crisis? How can you be best prepared to be a role model and leader? And how can you safeguard your employees and their families through proper risk management? Write to me and tell me what you did.
For those of you in business, I encourage you to check out my LinkedIn Learning series listed below on this newsletter. It’s free for LinkedIn Premium members. It will give you a full course on protecting your business. As individuals, go check out Ready.gov for information on preparing your family for life’s little accidents. You’ll be glad you did.
Be safe and ready out there…
Quote of the Week:
“You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you.”
~ Joseph B. Wirthlin (20th century American businessman)
The key to personal and professional improvement is accountability. My mentoring and coaching program has availability. Contact me at [email protected] or (360) 271-1592 to apply.
