Business continuity: the show must go on

Like any other business, our employees go on vacation, get sick and so on. That means we’re not we’re not always at the office which creates challenges from a business continuity standpoint.Having previously discussed specific strategies to deal with short staffing, today we want to talk about the bigger picture thinking needed to ensure business continuity. Business continuity goes beyond specific actions to include an overarching way of being.We have to remember that our clients’ lives don’t stop when we’re off or away. Our business has impact, influence and implications beyond our little individual worlds. This does not mean we unduly sacrifice downtime or other commitments, but it challenges us to create a durable and flexible organization.As much as possible the business has to have a plug-and-play capability where people and resources can quickly and easily slot into their designated role and deliver results.What does this thinking look like we when apply it in the real world? Well, it changes the way we do everything down to the little details. For instance, we write business documents and meeting minutes in a way that anyone can pick up and implement.In recent weeks, several of our team members, returning from vacation, training sessions and client meetings happily noted that everything was flowing smoothly even though the team was short staffed in their absence.“The place didn’t burn down!” we joked.The humorous moment revealed some crucial insights to us. It’s not that we were surprised that we all showed up to work, but it was heartening to see the momentum we have created within this organization as though it has a life of its own.Seeing such continuity from our business also boosted our confidence because we saw that we’re part of a stable organization. The peace of mind that comes from not having to worry about our firm ceasing operations enables us to elevate our performance.How does your business ensure continuity? Drop us a comment below or give us a call to find out how we can help your business maintain continuity.