taking the sting out of a crisis
e-News - October 2004
Edited by Dr. David Perl MB BS, MBCI
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Noah built the ark before the rains came - and for good reason!
As autumn draws on, events over the summer have continued to show a desperate need for companies to take disaster planning seriously. Time and again, at home and abroad, a lack of foresight and planning for the unexpected has meant that companies suffering adversity often through no fault of their own, have been on the wrong end of critical PR. they have damaged their reputation. Given their staff and shareholders sleepless nights and set their business plan back months if not years.
Baden-Powell wasn't wrong - Be Prepared! Even if you weren't a Scout or a Guide, you can still be smart and earn yourself Brownie points by thinking ahead. Being insured is wise but, on its own, not enough. Having trained staff and procedures ready to cope with any emergency is not only common sense but also good business practice. A badly handled major incident would put you and your staff under great stress and your whole company at risk.
How would you cope if a number of your clients were involved in a fatal bus accident or a terrorist incident in the full glare of the media? What would you do next Monday morning if a weekend electrical fire had destroyed your office, your computers and files and threatened your ability to continue in business?
While some crises might be unavoidable, the majority aren't. Forward planning can lessen the damage. A good starting point is by assessing the risks. Are you even aware of your business risks? What are the implications of the new Health and Safety regulations? The DDA act coming into force any day now? The EU Travel Package Directive?
An audit / risk assessment is an excellent starting point, although this is best done with outside help. The expertise of docleaf® can help you here - our skills and experience are second-to-none. Call us now on 01923 681224 or visit us at www.docleaf.com and take the first step towards sleeping more soundly every night.
The above articles are written by Dr. David Perl, Chief Executive of Docleaf, unless otherwise mentioned. Articles are copyrighted to Docleaf. Permission to reprint will usually be granted for no charge. Write to info@docleaf.com
David Perl originally qualified as a medical doctor. In 1998, after 15 years of practice he founded Docleaf. His medical background gives him a unique perspective on the world of crises and the importance of maintaining business continuity in the aftermath of a disaster.
A collection of articles about Crisis Management can be found at: www.docleaf.com/enews.htm