Resiliency Resources

Many people were looking forward this March to NCAA basketball tournaments – not a march into an economic and human calamity.

Yet, with the pandemic upon us, the need to navigate serious challenges is at hand.  Last week, I posted Five Keys to Dealing Effectively with Disruption noting the importance to businesses of:

          • Avoiding Denial
          • Attacking the Problem not the People
          • Assistance – Obtaining it
          • Accelerating Communication
          • Appreciating Cash Position

A flood of information has poured forth this week  with advice on various aspects of the current situation.  Assistance is critical in developing an effective plan – and that assistance must come from credible, reputable sources.   Here are some helpful resources  from such sources that will be useful in implementing the Five Keys:

Team working remotely?  Do it safely and securely.

The National Cyber Security Alliance launched the COVID-19 Security Resource Library – a free resource on current scams, cyber threats, remote working issues, disaster relief, and more.    Do not let your focus on attacking the current problem blind you or your team to the additional threats posed by malicious actors with intent to disrupt your operations.

Stay safe and spread the message (not the virus)

The Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University established COVID-19: How to be Safe & Resilient with the goal of providing critical tools and skills needed for people to stay safe and to help others to stay safe.   Share through your network to ensure others are informed and to promote social connectedness.  As a member of Infragard, I have attended programs at the Institute and admire their commitment to forward-thinking in managing disruption.

Business resources from corporate turnaround professionals

The Turnaround Management Association (TMA) has compiled a COVID-19 Business Resource Site to collect resiliency resources for businesses.   Contributions come from the group’s large, professionally diverse organization (almost 10,000 members in 53 chapters worldwide). Note:   as a past president of the Northeast Chapter  and as a current member of the global board, I am pleased to  co-chair the next global TMA Annual Meeting  (Boston on September 30 – October 2).

Boston business resources

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce has established a COVID-19 Resource Page to help businesses navigate developments, which includes periodic updates and resources from the government,  public policy analysis, and industry-specific insights into actions of employers in responding to the situation.

Other resources

Other noteworthy sites include:

Finally,  MWI (where I trained as a mediator) announced two programs:

        • Online Mediation:  the ability to mediate commercial (and other) matters using video conferencing including virtual breakout rooms .  Note:  non-profits and charities are able take advantage of this service for no charge (for one session) through the end of June 2020.
        • Online Trainings:    online training on negotiation skills and other  programs geared towards sales teams, procurement, and business leaders. Note: companies in Massachusetts can apply to be reimbursed for 50% to 75% of the costs through a partnership with the Workforce Training Fund

All of the above resources can be used to implement the Five Keys of avoiding denial, attacking the problem (not the people), obtaining assistance, communicating well and appreciating the critical importance of cash in business resiliency.

The availability of resources does not make the process of dealing with disruption simple but awareness of resources is critical in charting a path forward.