Testing and Training

It's not only critical that your crisis team is trained to use your business continuity plan, it's also important that all employees are aware of the plan and understand their roles and the roles of everyone else. It is this type of training that can help ensure that employees won't panic in a crisis and will be aware that steps are being taken to handle any situation that arises. You'll find help with this in the articles below.

Here are some steps in developing and implementing your test. (Item #1) Some say there is no better learning curve in crisis management than managing through an actual crisis. (Item #2) Use this template to build and execute your test. (Item #3)

All employees need to be trained so they fully understand that continuing the business after a disaster may not mean an immediate return to “business as usual.” (Item #4) In this article, you'll find help for building awareness of your plan among employees. (Item #5) All employees are critical to the success of your Business Continuity Program and need to receive the appropriate level of education and training. (Item #6)


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Getting Management Buy-In

There's more than adequate evidence that business continuity planning is critical in today's world, but it's still difficult to convince some senior managers of that fact. Perhaps you can take the advice in some of this week's NewsBriefs articles to help you get the buy-in you need.

Despite major disasters like the tsunami in Japan, management isn't jumping to approve disaster recovery and business continuity. (Item #1) Many senior managers provide only less-than-full buy-in for BC plans. (Item #2) Use one of these five methods to gain management buy-in. (Item #3)

Sometimes the Board isn't listening; here are some tips on how to position BC to get the Board to hear you. (Item #4) Here are some tips on how to get buy-in for your IT governance strategy. (Item #5) These strategies for getting your idea approved might help you get the CEO on board. (Item #6)


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Social Media and Business Continuity

Is your organization up to date on the most recent developments in enterprise social media? Have you observed how social media can aid an organization? Have you considered the possible drawbacks? Learn more about establishing and nurturing an enterprise social media and collaboration strategy in this week’s articles.

Is social media the ultimate BCM utility? (Item #1) Make sure to set up social media before a crisis hits. (Item #2) Emergency managers and business continuity planners agree that it’s smart practice to include social media in BCM and COOP programs. (Item #3)

Three common misperceptions have held back the use of social media in disaster response. (Item #4) It is critical that social media leaders determine the purpose of their initiatives before they deploy them. (Item #5) Social media has significantly changed how many companies communicate with their customers, employees and vendors. (Item #6)

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Facility Safety and Continuity

We always say that you have to think of people first in any disaster or disruption, but we also need to remember that we have to protect the facility – our building, our offices. This week’s articles will provide food for thought as you consider if you’ve covered all you can do in this area.

Dealing with an incident within the first few hours may reduce the total time of the disruptive event by weeks. (Item #1) Facility management is often overlooked when it comes to business continuity planning, but this group is vital to your safety and recovery success. (Item #2) How do you protect your critical documents in a disaster? (Item #3)

Prudent professionals must ensure that their properties, employees, and guests are well protected and prepared for any contingency. (Item #4) Don’t be destroyed by an it-can’t-happen-here mentality. (Item #5) This generic planning guide for facilities can help you ensure that your plan addresses all the necessary concerns. (Item #6)

How ready is your facility for a major disruption? Learn more at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs