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The following is a running list of resilience tips posted on LinkedIn in 2024. This list has been archived here for followers to access.

9/9/2024

1. Identify Critical Functions to Keep Your Business Operating

In times of disruption, the strength of your business lies in its ability to adapt and respond quickly. One key step in building resilience is identifying your critical functions—the essential activities that keep your business running, even when challenges arise.

Start by asking yourself...

• "What are the core processes your business cannot afford to lose?"
• "Which products or services are vital to your revenue stream?"
• "Who are the key people, internally and externally, that drive your daily operations?"

By determining these critical elements, you can focus your resources on protecting them. Whether it’s ensuring your IT systems stay online, securing key suppliers, or developing contingency plans for essential personnel, having a clear understanding of what’s truly indispensable allows you to safeguard the future of your business.

Don’t wait for a crisis to test your resilience. Take proactive steps now to identify and protect what’s most important—and strengthen your ability to bounce back from any disruption.

9/19/24

2. Designate a Business Disruption Coordinator and Team for Resilience

Building a strong Business. Disruption/Continuity Plan (BDP) starts with clear leadership. One of the most critical steps is designating a BDP Coordinator—someone who will lead the charge, keeping it active and alive, in preparing for disruptions and ensuring a timely and smooth recovery when they happen.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Coordinator needs a dedicated team with clearly defined roles covering the essential critical functions you identify (see tip #1) like IT, operations, communications, and finance. This ensures that every aspect of your business has a working plan ensuring accountability when quick decisions need to be made.

Don’t leave disruption planning to chance or put it off because of “It’ll never happen to me.” thinking. By assigning roles and responsibilities, you build a chain of command that ensures swift, coordinated action during crises—giving your business the resilience to face any challenge head-on.

Have you designated your BDP Team yet?

9/26/2024

3. Document Your Processes to Build Resilience

In a crisis, clarity is key. One of the most effective ways to prepare your business for disruption is by documenting your processes—clearly outlining how critical operations are performed.

By having step-by-step guides for essential functions, your team can stay on track even in the face of unexpected challenges. It helps reduce errors, ensure consistency, and keep things moving when you're operating under pressure.

Process documentation isn't just for emergencies—it improves efficiency and accountability every day. So, take the time to map out your key workflows. It’s an investment in your business’s resilience and long-term success.

Have you documented your business processes yet?

10/3/2024

4. Strengthen Your Business with a Risk Assessment

Resilience starts with awareness. Awareness of and prioritizing the hazards you may face during a business disruption is crucial.

Conducting a Risk Assessment forces you to see the weaknesses in your business to withstand the unexpected. By identifying potential threats—whether operational, financial, or external—you can address your vulnerabilities before they become disruptions.

A thorough risk assessment helps you prioritize how and where ...

1. To use your resources
2. Plan for “just in case” contingencies
3. Ensure your Business Disruption/Continuity Plan is realistic.

It's not about avoiding all risks but being ready to navigate them effectively.

Have you assessed your risks lately? It could be the difference between thriving and merely surviving in a crisis.

10/10/2024

5. Prioritize Risks: Rank risks based on their impact and likelihood.

Not all risks are created equal. Once you've identified potential threats to your business, the next step is to prioritize them—rank each risk based on its impact and likelihood to occur. This ensures that your resources and attention are directed at where they’re needed most, allowing you to focus preparations for the most serious and probable disruptions.

A risk that could significantly impact your operations but is unlikely to happen (maybe something like a flood or a bridge collapse) probably doesn’t have the same level of preparation as a highly likely event with moderate consequences (like maybe a computer failure). The key is striking the right balance to protect your business without overextending resources.

How do you prioritize risks in your business? Do you make regular assessments? What do you do when you discover a new risk?

10/17/2024

6. Develop Mitigation Strategies: Reduce Risks, Strengthen Resilience

Once you've identified the risks your business faces and prioritized which of those risks are most deserving of your resources, the next step is to develop mitigation strategies—concrete plans to reduce or eliminate those risks. Mitigation isn’t about eliminating all risks but managing them smartly to minimize their impact on your business.

Whether it's diversifying important suppliers, investing in cybersecurity, or cross-training your team, the goal is to have practical solutions in place before disruptions occur. Every risk you mitigate strengthens your business’s resilience and increases your ability to bounce back quickly.

What mitigation strategies have you used in your business?

Not all mitigation costs money. What cheap and easy adjustments have you made that reduced your risk?