When you see a disaster on the news, it’s common to think, “that’s awful.” But what we typically don’t think about is the same scenario happening to us. However, if and when it does, the focus shifts from how awful it is to how do I handle all of the immediate needs of this situation when everything instantly becomes urgent!
This was abundantly clear to me during the 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — one of the worst floods in U.S. history. Response time was critical in gathering the important files, computers, servers, furniture, equipment, and other items from the office and setting them up in a temporary location., And everyone had the same urgent needs for resources, manpower, transportation, and temporary office space as the water was rapidly rising.
As the water levels peaked, there were emergency situations with power outages, limited water supply, contamination of water wells, and extreme stress on the waste water treatment facilities. These weren’t just issues for companies but for every employee that worked for them. The impact of this disaster was personal and professional in every way.
There’s no way to anticipate every possible disaster scenario, which is why it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the people who are responding to the wildfires, floods, riots, and other emergencies. What if your company was dealing with that? What would you need to do and be prepared for to keep operations running? Do you have the information you need to get your colleagues and office safely to another location, and keep the business running in a disaster situation? Are you prepared to take care of yourself and your own family at the same time?
We know some of you have dealt with disasters – whether it was a terrorist attack, fire, flood, ice storm or other emergency. And we want to hear your preparedness and recovery stories so we can help others prepare in case it happens to them. Click here to share your story with us.
Whether it’s an internet security breach, something that physically happens to your building, or your executive is out of the office unexpectedly, you need to be ready when an office emergency strikes. This week’s feature article explains how you can create an emergency communication plan, and you can find more tips and advice on office preparedness on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie
P.S. There are so many good training options for admins this week that we didn’t have room to include them all in our weekly training email. But one you definitely want to join is today’s free Office Dynamic’s webinar, Expect the Unexpected: How to Challenge Your Comfort Zone and Stretch Your Skills. Click here to register now!
