Like all management strategies and systems, business continuity management (BCM) and plans (BCPs) are only as good as their implementation. And being properly implemented relies entirely on the buy-in of the responsible organisational personnel, especially top management.
In the absence of management support, the necessary resources and operational prioritisation may not be available to embed the BCM program, and then the best BCP in the world won’t succeed in protecting the organisation.
If the impetus towards developing or improving business continuity management has not originated from top management, the BCM champion needs to concentrate their early efforts towards providing information and recruiting management support. Methods include:
- Documenting and communicating organisational benefits.
- Demonstrating the link between organisational objectives, risk management, and business continuity management.
- Clarifying how the BCM program dovetails with existing strategies and systems, without reinventing the wheel or creating unnecessary work.
It is also important to recognise and manage the real concerns or objections that may arise:
- Be understanding of people’s reluctance, sympathetically explore their objections and then develop solutions or compromises after consulting with all stakeholders.
- Highlight the beneficial outcomes for the objector, as a counterbalance to real objections, such as the additional workload involved in developing and testing a BCP.
- Provide information and direct assistance, rather than just expecting others to pick up and run with it.
Be flexible in your approach. There is rarely only one pathway to any given goal, and if an adjustment to the intended approach will alleviate the concerns of objectors while still broadly achieving the goal, go with the flow rather than allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good.
Don’t forget to show your appreciation and give praise for agreements reached and work done. People who know you appreciate their efforts are more likely to continue to cooperate and assist with the development of the BCM program.
Please contact QRMC for more information.
