As a specialist in business continuity planning and operational resilience, I often see companies just focusing on meeting rules and regulations without truly understanding the need to be prepared for real-life problems.
While it’s essential to follow the rules, only checking off the boxes won’t protect your business when faced with a tough situation. To show the difference between effective planning and just meeting the rules, let’s use the analogy of chess versus checkers.
Checkers: Just Meeting the Rules
Checkers is an easy game where players move pieces across a board and capture the other player’s pieces. The rules are simple, and players mostly use basic strategies. When talking about business continuity planning, a checkers approach means companies only care about meeting regulations. They follow the rules but lack the ability to adjust and react in a crisis.
Companies with a checkers approach might:
- Plans only cater for simple or single theme scenarios
- Only meet the minimum requirements of rules and regulations
- Not understand the specific risks their business faces
- Avoid investing in ongoing improvement and training
Chess: Being Ready for a Crisis
Chess is a more complicated game that needs smart thinking, flexibility, and planning. Each piece has its unique moves, and players must consider many factors to make the best move.
Like chess, a good approach to business continuity planning involves detailed planning that considers the company’s unique needs and risks and prepares for different possible problems.
Companies with a chess approach might:
- Create custom plans based on their unique risks and needs
- Go beyond the minimum rules to build a strong and flexible business
- Always check and change their plans based on new information or changes
- Train employees to make sure they know how to react in a crisis
Why the Chess Approach is Important for Businesses
The difference between the checkers and chess approaches can decide if your company can handle and recover from a crisis. By using the chess approach and focusing on being ready for a crisis, businesses can:
- React quickly and effectively to unexpected problems
- Reduce the damage of a crisis on their work, reputation, and money
- Show their customers and partners that they can handle tough situations
- Make sure the business keeps growing and succeeding
Conclusion
Business continuity planning and operational resilience are more than just following the rules. Like the complex game of chess, they need smart thinking, flexibility, and ongoing improvement.
Companies that use the chess approach and invest in being ready for a crisis will not only be prepared for the unexpected but will also do well in a constantly changing business world.
Don’t settle for just playing checkers; it’s time to play chess