Experience and intuition suggests that across most organisations and businesses, the effort to achieve organisational resilience really does take place every single day, but it is not always clear, nor under one common capability or direction, for it to be fully appreciated and accepted by all.
We should explain here that we do include businesses of all sizes, when we use the phrase ‘organisational resilience’ (because not all businesses will consider themselves to be an ‘organisation’ as such). Organisations and businesses must and should have the ambition, tools and capability to achieve a suitable level of resilience. Why wouldn’t they? There is a personal and a business need involved.
Hi Ho….
We know for a fact that across organisational disciplines, organisational policies and procedures will apply in different degrees, depending on the business sizeWe know for a fact that across organisational disciplines, traditional emergency management, disaster recovery, business continuity, risk management, human resources and organisational policies and procedures, will apply in different degrees, depending on the business size. Invariably, they will either fall under the responsibility of different professionals, individuals or departments; and never actually be pieced together as part of a strategic, tactical and operational capability badged as ‘organisational resilience’. Even though it is what they are doing. ”Working together, (independently) to improve organisational resilience”.
Words
Organisational resilience is a capability which can sound like there is another need to create and execute additional work across a business; when in simple terms, it does include the collaboration of a number of factors to be intrinsically linked (and joined together) to achieve and demonstrate the full range of capabilities of that organisation’s ‘team’ to deal with the potential challenges ahead.
People, professionals and businesses, can be very ‘tetchy’ and ‘precious’ over their own area of expertise and subject responsibility; it’s just a fact and human nature, across most organisations. For sure, some (organisations and businesses) are exceptional world leaders in demonstrating ‘organisational resilience’ and they are undoubtedly those with the teams and budgets, allocated to the cause. But most businesses will have smaller, if not multi-tasked individuals, battling to secure a level of parity for their field of expertise against a plethora of other competing disciplines at board and executive level.
Every discipline in every business really can, should and does, make a contribution towards ‘organisational resilience’ as such. It is perhaps, just a simple mis-understanding of the fact and requires a communication awareness, acceptance and hopefully, a ‘penny-dropping’ moment before we can piece it all together and collaborate rather than separate the work streams.
Business is Business
Every discipline in every business really can, should and does, make a contribution towards ‘organisational resilience’ as such.As a world known retailer uses the phrase ‘every little helps’ as its slogan, the same can be said of working towards building and sustaining a resilient business, especially if we ensure it is understood by all and at all levels of the organisation. This can be achieved without over complicating matters, especially where it is not needed, but the principles of ensuring a culture of ‘what we do and how we will continue to do’, even in the face of adverse challenges, either internal or external, will certainly help any organisation to be resilient.
Yes, it needs to be understood, accepted and wanted by the top management and communicated throughout the workforce and beyond. Organisational resilience is an amazing capability to have; a marketable asset. It has a set of standards if that’s what an organisation wishes to align to or achieve certification, but equally, it does not necessarily need rocket scientists to explain and demonstrate.
Organisational resilience can still be achieved by working together in collaboration within the respective internal disciplines or simply by identifying what it actually means in reality, and more importantly, what amazing advantages it brings.
Collaboration within the organization is critical and pays big dividends. For many circumstances, collaborating with other companies also can save time, money, lives, reputation and improve response. Critical to this is shared situational awareness of threats that may happen, and real time collection and sharing during events that are underway. The emerging volcano threat in Hawaii is a good example, there is no reason not to share information between companies facing this common threat.
Peter, I totally agree with you and its a joined up approach, with command, control, coordination and communication, that will help to achieve the best outcome possible. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate it. Paul
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