Tuesday 23 April 2019

What’s Your Contingency?

Businesses survive on their ability to … carry on doing business. What happens, though, when through no fault of their own, they’re prevented from doing this?

A business needs to sell products or services to its customers to survive.  We hear stories of businesses “going under” due to lack of demand for their product/service, or because a competitor muscled in or because a bank pulled their credit lines.  But what of when something else happens that is beyond their control?

By this, I mean something like inability to access premises, or a major contagion outbreak.  Let’s talk about inability to access premises. Usually, businesses carry on their trade from offices, warehouses or (in some cases) a room at home in the case of a business of one. We take for granted that we’ll arrive every morning, work and leave at the end of the day.  One day, however, we may arrive to find that we can’t get in because of a: 
  • Gas leak
  • Fire (either on our premises or a neighbour’s)
  • Explosion
  • Accident blocking the local access road
  • Inclement weather making roads impassable

These are “Acts of God” beyond our control.  However, our customers, staff and other stakeholders still rely on us, so the real test is in how we respond.  Businesses who can handle a crisis arising from unforeseen circumstances are generally those who will survive because of the way they handle things.  

The question then becomes, “Do we have a Contingency (or Business Continuity) Plan?”

Every business needs a plan (even if it's only on one sheet of paper).  The bigger or more complex the business, the more we may need to include.  An important or large buyer may also ask to see our Contingency Plan as part of their due diligence.  Typical contents would cover:
  • What the business does and how;
  • Where it does it (premises);
  • Vital equipment and/or records;
  • How premises are accessed;
  • Utility supplies;
  • Communications infrastructure;
  • Location of emergency services (police, hospital, fire brigade);
  • Staff;
  • Records;
  • Assembly points;
  • Contingency Site (CS);
  • Communications (staff, suppliers, buyers, regulators, banks, insurance, other stakeholders);
  • Suppliers;
  • Buyers;
  • Response Team and duties.
A vital feature is to test the plan to see if it works and what needs improving.  In one of the areas I worked, our Contingency Plan included flying two staff to another country, accessing systems remotely and communicating with us by satellite phone. 

The objective of a Contingency Plan is to achieve two goals:

First Goal: “Recovery Mode”
  • Business as Usual (BAU) premises not available; staff working from home/at the CS.
  • Staff/systems/equipment/infrastructure functioning at sub- “normal” levels or one or more elements not functioning at all.
  • Only “essential” functions are being performed, not necessarily at “normal” levels.
  • “Damage Control” and/or “Firefighting” are the main activities at this stage.
  • Communication with staff and stakeholders is key.
Ultimate Goal: “BAU Mode”
  • Staff/systems/equipment/infrastructure functioning at “normal”.
Ideally, the business should have “target times” to achieve recovery and then BAU.  Remember that the second goal may require us to locate, rent, refit and equip brand new premises… 


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 provide 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 websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: , , , , ,

Tuesday 16 April 2019

The Dangers of "Group Think"

I’m reading a fascinating book by Richard de Crespigny, captain of Qantas flight QF 32 from Singapore to Sydney on 4thNovember 2010 which nearly became one of the world’s worst air disasters with 469 people on board.

Apart from a riveting story, one of Captain de Crespigny’s comments was:

It is even more common for ‘group think’ syndrome to take hold, where individuals who detect faults fail to expose them because they believe the group is more intelligent and more correct. The ‘group think’ problem is remarkably prevalent in crews augmented with management and checking captains, because junior pilots feel intimidated.

This highlights something which I (and, I’m sure, others) have experienced.  We’re in a group of people (some of whom may be more “senior” to us) and we notice something that we think may be going wrong.  Question: do we say something, and risk being slapped down or (at the very least) made fun of or do we keep quiet?

In the aviation world, where safety is paramount, the answer is simple: you speak up.

In one of the local oil companies in this country, they encourage(if not demand) that you speak up if a potential danger is spotted and thank youfor doing so!  The person who made the best report actually over the year gets officially recognised as well.

In other cultures, however, the convention is not to say anything because we might cause offence or “loss of face” to the senior person or persons.  Worse, they may think we’re trying to show how clever we are. Whatever happens, we’ll be in hot water, so better to keep quiet and, if something doesgo wrong, blame the seniors who “should have known”.

Do we as a leader encourage group think or speaking up (whatever the consequences) if there’s a problem?  If we work in a culture where group think is the norm. how can we encourage others to speak up?

A leader who encourages “yes men” ends up surrounded by people with nothing to say.



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 provide 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 websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: , , ,

Wednesday 10 April 2019

Who Are Your "Core"?

In any organisation, be it government, business or voluntary, experience suggests that there are three types.

Type one is those people who are unconditionally dedicated to the objectives and advancement of the organisation.  These are the ones who always come to meetings, events, committee and generally “make things work”.  They are “the core”.

The second is those who turn up regularly to meetings, contribute ideas, but don’t take on anything (unless specifically requested).  They turn up but aren’t likely to volunteer (this is left to the core).  

The third type are the “peripherals”.  For whatever reason they can’t, don’t or won’t contribute anything more than the bare minimum.  Whilst the first group will often go above and beyond the call of duty and the second can usually be relied on to get things done if asked specifically, the third tends to leave things to the others whom they know will always pick up the proverbial slack.  They usually make sure they appear in any photo opportunities though…

With peripherals, I’ve found that the important thing is to understand where they’re coming from. Some genuinely want to help, but have equally genuine reasons why their support must necessarily be limited. Once we know this, we can work with it. They’re capable of being there when really needed.

For those who don’t/won’t carry their weight, the question is why?  Is there a political/personality conflict?  Sometimes a full and frank discussion is needed to understand their perspective and identify where they can contribute meaningfully.  At others (particularly in voluntary organisations) it may simply be we’re “stuck” with these people – they may have “useful contacts”, or some other important arttribute.  The only solution is either to await some “natural event” that precipitates their departure or (if possible) “engineer” one.

Have you identified your “1s, 2s and 3s”?


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 provide 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 websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: , ,