As Ben Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan – you are planning to fail.”
While COVID-19 is not a disaster most would have predicted, it highlights the importance of disaster planning. During this episode of The Daily Grind from Connex; straight from our famed think-tank is our northern partner from Canada: Michel Theriault, FMP, RPA, LEED AP – the Principle and Strategic Advisor of FM Insight Consulting, Ltd. discusses the importance of disaster planning. With 30 years of FM experience in the industry and author of several related books, Michael brings expert knowledge in how to plan for a wide variety of natural disasters and disruption.
In light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic unfolding what is, or should, the FM community to do? The simple answer is always have a plan. While planning for every disaster scenario is impossible every organization needs a basic plan that can be adapted across wide range of disasters. From hurricanes to fires, to power-outages and ice-storms, and diseases anything that can disrupt normal business flow should be accounted for.
If you don’t have a disaster plan on day one, create one. At the end of the day, something is better than nothing. Also keep in mind that several events can occur simultaneously. Case in point; on-top of the current pandemic, southern states are coping with the annual reality of spring storms, and the chaos and destruction they can bring. The reality is the world doesn’t stop for just one event, so plan accordingly.
And just as important as dealing with the current event is planning for the aftermath. What precautions will become the new normal and what practices will return to the old ways? While this is never an easy call to make, by studying the surrounding countries or regions coping with the same issues and how they recover can provide a good idea of what to plan for and how to adjust quickly.
During these trying times, not having a disaster plan is unacceptable. No plan is fool proof, and adjustments will need to be made on the fly, a well-defined guide book for moving forward is vital to your success during this crisis and in preparing for the next. If you do not have a disaster plan today is the perfect time to begin work on one.
View Michel Theriault’s episode here.
