Communication And Connectivity
We rely more and more
on email and mobile communication to get things done. It’s quick, convenient and we can be
reasonably certain that we will get a reply.
The problem is that this is a “double-edged sword”. Whilst it opens up more channels and more
contacts, it also increases the volume of communication we send, receive and
process. Clients who come on my Time
Management workshops frequently comment that they receive hundreds (literally)
of emails every day and spend disproportionate amounts of time handling them -
time that could be used to develop their business.
Apart from going through strategies to help them deal with
the never-ending cascade of email, the question I always have for them is,
“What if you couldn't communicate by email or mobile?” The initial reaction is silence, followed by
laughter until someone “gets” that what I’m really asking is “How dependent are
you on a working electronic network to do business?”
What would you do if you weren’t able to use email or a
mobile phone to communicate? How
“geared” are you and your business to having a working electronic and cyber
infrastructure for your very being? What
would you do if it were cut off? Could
you continue to run the business, or would everything grind to a halt?
Even if you could keep going, what about your suppliers and
buyers? Could you still make and receive
payments at your bank? Could they
communicate with you?
This isn’t an “Armageddon” scenario; it’s perfectly possible
as a result of a major natural disaster such as a hurricane, flood or
earthquake. One of my employers (whose
office was in a hurricane-prone area) had a satellite phone for office use in
the event of a hurricane. The trouble
was, it was useful only if the phones at the other end were working. In other words, if he wanted to call someone
else in the same area, either they had to have a satellite phone or their
phones had to have escaped the same hurricane or whatever had hit the area…
So… how reliant are you, your family and your business on a
reliable electronic communication network?
Ask yourself what you would do if it was unavailable? How long before it becomes a serious problem
for you, and what can you do to mitigate the impact? Some ideas might be:
- Have a pre-arranged procedure for people to meet up at designated places to receive instructions and agree action;
- Know how long you, your business and its buyers/suppliers can survive in the event of a “communications blackout”;
- Have a contingency plan if you live/work in an area prone to natural disasters.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to offer solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Crisis Management, Leadership, Strategy, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 11:28
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