|
How
To Prepare Your Business For A Disaster
By Dennis Sommer (www.dennissommer.com)
Company leaders take notice. You are losing millions of
dollars in revenue without a terrorist attack taking place.
Every day, TV, radio, and newspapers tell us a horrendous
terrorist attack can happen at any moment. Who is the
target? It may be your company. Many of your employees
are scared, confused, and cannot perform their daily work.
Company leaders must take action now before it is too
late.
On August 1st 2004, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom
Ridge raised the terror alert status to code Orange or
"High". This alert specifically mentioned The
World Bank, Citigroup, NYSE, and Prudential Financial
buildings which are most likely primary targets of terrorists
in the near future. "Primal fear" is the technical
term used by experts to describe how people react to the
threat or actual terrorist disaster. Everyone reacts differently
to these events. Just the announcement of a possible threat
can cause low morale, lack of concentration and loss of
productivity. With this said, your company can lose millions
in revenue before a disaster hits. Are you prepared?
Although business executives and managers are concerned
about the possibility of a terrorist attack and the affects
to their business, few are taking action to prepare for
this eventuality. TEC International released a study stating
73% of CEO's surveyed are not taking any action to protect
their firms from attack. These results raise big concerns
about the stability of our work life and business in the
future.
By following these steps, business leaders will help raise
employee morale, improve productivity, and keep the revenue
flowing.
1) Prepare
For A Terrorist Attack
Security of employees, business information, and physical
buildings are the three top areas of focus when preparing
for a terrorist attack or natural disaster. The following
actions can be taken to prepare for any kind of terrorist
attack or natural disaster.
Employee
Security
The employee's well being always takes priority in a business.
When a leader focuses on the employees concerns and security,
the business will take care of itself. Follow these steps
for employee security.
Include Employees.
Encourage employees to work on projects that affect the
security of the organization. They will gain valueable
information and better understand what will happen if
a terrorist strikes.
Meet With Employees.
Company leaders are encouraged to meet with employees
and describe the steps that are being taken to protect
the employees and the company. As new information is developed,
employees should be given updates. Discuss how the new
information affects each employee.
Listen to Employees. While company leaders are
meeting with employees, listen to them about their perceived
needs during a crisis. Take these employee needs into
account when developing Disaster Plans.
Provide
Counseling Services. All employees react differently
to a threat or actual terrorist attack. Announcement of
a possible terrorist attack may push some employees over
the edge. Provide access to counselors or Employee Assistance
Programs. Encourage employees to use this help if needed.
Prepare A Family Disaster Plan. Work with employees
to develop a Family Disaster Plan. When family members
know exactly what they need to do when a terrorist strikes,
they are less likely to fall apart and panic. Prepare
a list of contact numbers and a safe place to meet when
a terrorist attack strikes. Prepare a disaster kit that
will include medical supplies, food, clothing and other
essentials for a 3 to 5 day period.
Secure
Business Information
Most companies are heavily reliant on information data,
especially banking, financial, insurance, and health care
institutions. It is critical to business continuity to
have secure backups of this information in case the computer
systems are destroyed in a disaster. Follow these steps
to secure business information.
Perform
Daily Backups. Making daily backups of data and
storing them at another location is the first step to
securing business information.
Have
a Disaster Recovery Plan. A disaster recovery
plan tells your employees how to get all the critical
business systems back online as soon as possible. A detailed
inventory of the hardware, software, peripheral equipment,
supplies, procedures, and staffing needs must be documented.
Then a step by step plan must be developed describing
how to install all these pieces into a functioning system.
Depending on the type of terrorist attack and available
facilities, this process may take from 1 day to 14 days.
Set Up Backup Data Centers. Organizations
that are highly dependant on business information must
setup a second data center in another part of the country
that contains a mirror image of all critical information.
These companies can bring their business back online within
a couple of hours.
Secure
Physical Building
Tight security around office buildings deters terrorist
attacks and gives employees comfort when at work. When
employees feel secure at work, their morale and productivity
will remain high. The following steps are performed to
secure your buildings. Follow these steps to secure physical
buildings.
Perform Background Checks.
Background checks on all employees is your first step
toward securing a physical building. All current and new
employees must have thorough background checks to identify
possible internal threats.
Issue ID Cards.
Identification cards should be worn by all employees.
Only personnel with appropriate ID cards, visible at all
times, should be walking through your halls. When an employee
sees someone without an ID, they should immediately call
security to check out the unidentified person in your
building.
Install Security Systems.
Card key security systems should be installed at all entry
points and critical departments within your organization:
R&D labs, data centers, etc. Only employees with appropriate
security should have access to these critical areas.
Check In Visitors. Visitors should
be logged in at your front desk. Visitor name, company,
license #, reason for visit, name of person they are visiting,
and entry time is logged into your security journal. Visitors
are then given a unique ID card that identifies them as
a visitor and must have a unique number that can easily
be referenced with your security journal.
Escort
Visitors. Visitors, once inside your building,
should be escorted by an employee at all times. Visitors
seen walking through the halls without an escort should
be reported to security immediately.
Install
Cameras. Cameras placed in high security areas,
entry points into buildings, and parking garages will
provide security teams with the extra eyes to stop terrorist
acts before they happen.
Search Vehicles.
Vehicle searches should be performed on cars and trucks
entering underground parking or delivery areas and for
vehicles parking with 100 meters of the building. Methods
used for searching vehicles can be from simple visual
inspection to thorough physical searches.
Build
Perimeter Blockades. Running a car or truck bomb
into a building is favored by many terrorists. The most
effective deterrent is installing cement or steel structures
around the perimeter that will stop any vehicle from crashing
into the building.
2)
Take Action After A Terrorist Attack
When a terrorist attack occurs, company leaders must take
action to help their employees cope with the tragedy while
continuing to operate their business. By focusing on the
employees concerns, the business will take care of itself.
When no action is taken, employees can bring a business
to a stand still by self preservation, lack of concentration
and low productivity. Take care of your employees and
business by performing the following steps during and
after a crisis. Follow these steps when a disaster strikes.
Implement Disaster Plan. Immediately
implement your Disaster Plan when a terrorist attack occurs.
During a disaster is no time to figure out what to do
next. Your Disaster Plan will provide a step by step guide
for each employee. This guide will help employees focus
on what needs to be done to keep them safe and your business
running. Lack of a plan will lead to confusion and fear.
Meet With Employees. During a crisis
is no time for company leaders to be working offsite or
behind their closed doors. Employees appreciate seeing
company leaders out with front line workers and being
asked how they are and what help they need. This is a
time for company leaders to reassure their employees and
help out in whatever capacity needed.
Provide
Counseling Services. Many large companies have
employee assistance programs or professional counselors
that are made available in times of need. Most major cities
have crisis teams that are also available as additional
support to your employees. These professionals can help
assess how employees are handling the crisis and help
them cope with the disaster.
Show Compassion.
Company leaders must follow through on actions and promises
to employees during a crisis. Telling employees to go
home if they are upset and then docking their pay on the
next paycheck is not appropriate behavior. Not allowing
employees time to grieve and deal with the crisis is also
very insensitive.
Allow Employees To
Vent. Every employee will handle a crisis and
grief in different ways. Allow employees to vent their
frustrations or take actions to help victims. Some employees
will have a need to talk openly about the crisis. Many
will want to reach out to troubled co-workers. Some may
want to take time off to give blood, volunteer for emergency
services, or volunteer to collect donations.
Pay Attention To Safety Issues. Employees
may suffer from a wide range of reactions after a terrorist
attack or disaster. These reactions can range from numbness,
shock, depression, trouble sleeping, trouble eating, or
mood swings. One major concern of company leaders is their
employees lack of concentration while working on the job.
There is an increased chance of accidents or human error
when employees are not focused. Company leaders should
pay extra attention to safety by watching employees more
closely around machinery and performing extra checks on
manual work that requires intense focus.
Monitor
the Aftershock. As a general rule, things will
get worse before they get better. Employees might seem
fine right after the initial shock of a terrorist attack
but then fall apart days later as events unfold. Company
leaders must keep an eye on their employees and assess
the impact they are having on the business days or weeks
after the disaster.
About The Author
- Dennis Sommer
Dennis Sommer
is the founder and CEO of Executive Business Advisers,
a management consulting firm specializing in business
growth, sales and profit improvement. www.executivebusinessadvisers.com
Dennis helps companies increase sales revenue, reduce
sales and marketing costs, improve marketing ROI, and
drive new business growth by improving and optimizing
their sales, marketing, company strategy and financial
health.
Dennis is a highly sought after business keynote and seminar
speaker www.dennissommer.com
and author of several highly popular sales, marketing,
leadership and professional development international
articles and books www.advisersecrets.com
.
Contact Dennis at 800-627-6512.
|
|
|
Executive
Business Advisers
Sales
and Profit Improvement Specialist
|
Business Articles
Our articles and whitepapers have been specifically
developed to help clients maximize both sales and
profit growth. They help turn average performers
into top performers.
|
|
FREE
- 30 Minute CEO Consultation
Call Today ! 1-800-627-6512
CEO
Special Reports - Free Downloads
Covering Critical Business Growth Strategies
Join
Our Exclusive Email List
Offering Free Executive Seminars & Articles
Book
a Keynote & Seminar Speaker
Inspire, Motivate and Educate Your Audience
Business
Growth Services
* Sales
* Marketing
* Strategic
Planning
* Financial
Management
* Business
Assessments
* Seminars
& Workshops
* CEO
& Executive Coaching
We help clients with:
Business
Growth Strategies, Sales,
Sales
Growth, Profit
Growth, Sales
Training, Sales
Management Training, Sales
Strategy, Business
Plan, Strategic
Planning, Strategic
Plan, Marketing
Strategy, Strategic
Marketing, Executive
Coach, Business
Strategy, Strategic
Consulting, Business
Assessment, IT
Management, IT
Cost Reduction, Professional
Development
|
|
