Decisions…Decisions…

Over the summer I’ve watched and listened with interest as leaders of nations, regions and businesses wrestle with decision making in the context of the ‘wicked problem’ that is the CVOID-19 Pandemic.  From a professional perspective the challenges of this context have illustrated some of...

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Was ‘lockdown’ the easier bit?

In recent weeks we’ve been involved in many lively discussions about what lies ahead.  On a personal level lockdown has been really challenging for most; but in crisis management terms what we’ve all just been through was probably the easy bit.  Indeed 'lockdown' was arguably more of an...

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When will we ever learn…?

There’s a view that part of the reason Asian democracies have done well at controlling coronavirus is because they learned the lessons that SARS (2003) and MERS (2015) taught them.  The Shetland Islands learned about contact tracing from a recent measles outbreak and used it to excellent effect...

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How resilient is your supply chain?

“Amateurs discuss tactics; professionals discuss logistics.” - Napoleon In a move to improve national resilience the UK government is considering intervention on the repatriation of key capabilities.  At the same time many attitudes to trade with China are shifting. Europe’s future trading...

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Planning…not plans.

So much chatter recently about the utility / futility of 'plans'.  In our experience, the most effective operations in complex environments are always underpinned by detailed, collaborative planning with open and challenging discussion; ask any military veteran.  Plans (a document) are merely a...

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Tips for Navigating VUCA

Working alongside our clients and listening to many other businesses in recent weeks, it’s been great to witness their common purpose, adaptation and creativity as we all adjust for the road ahead.  Many examples of problem solving at its finest. Navigating through COVID-19 has been challenging...

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Risk and Resilience featured in the Sunday Times

The Sunday Times Business Risk Special Report 2020, backed by the IRM, CII and AIRMIC, examines developing resilience, the role of risk management, climate risk and contingency planning.  Citing widespread changes for the future as a result of COVID-19, it's a highly topical and future oriented...

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Are You Ready For ‘The Dance’?

Tomas Pueyo talked of  ‘the hammer’ needed to tackle the immediate impacts of coronavirus and ‘the dance’ as we navigate towards recovery. That dance has begun. In this weekend’s Sunday Times Business Risk Special Report we share our thoughts on how coronavirus has exposed resilience...

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Cyber Resilience: Lessons Learned or More of the Same?

“Lessons must be learned” said the UK Home Secretary in the aftermath of WannaCry.  But will those lessons focus on ‘cyber security’ or will you take a holistic approach to assess, review and validate your cyber resilience capability? The Cyber Challenge Most organisations conduct their...

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In Crisis Tempo Is King

In a previous post we explored the process associated with taking informed decisions in a crisis and hinted that in Crisis Tempo is King. In that article we raised the concept of speeding up how quickly you move through the decision making process to be sure that your decisions are both well...

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Risk Scenarios: “That Could Never Happen”

Ever been presented with opinions from colleagues, when thinking about risk scenarios for your business, that convey the sense "that could never happen"? It is certainly not an uncommon occurrence in such discussions. In many cases it is perhaps a valid view to take, particularly if the risk...

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Promoting Your Continuity Capability

Having a business continuity policy and plan is only part of the solution when it comes to developing a continuity capability. Capability is much more about people than it is about having reams of paper. You need to be sure your people have the abilities to recognise trigger events, respond...

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