By: Don Chupp
Fireside Partners
Fireside Partners
An international leader in Corporate Emergency Response Plan (ERP) development, Crisis mitigation and organizational training and assessment for appropriate response.
In the first SM4 newsletter we diagnosed gaps in an Emergency Response Plan, identified opportunities for development and improvement, and assessed an ERP current state. We now turn to leading the organizational change that supports plan implementation. We examine elements that make any emergency response successful - the people behind it, and their ability to manage change.
Cultivate a readiness for Change
In Emergency Response terms, a profound organizational hurt sometimes precipitates a need for meaningful change. But do not allow an accident or serious incident to be your primary signal to change the way you manage future emergencies. This is a “reactive” approach - Tombstone management. There are two, more appropriate, proactive ways to determine your organization’s readiness for change:
- The organization becomes acutely aware of external pressures for change
- Gaps between the ERP current state and the desired state are clearly revealed
External pressures. Rule changes.
The NTSB determined that too many operators came to post-accident hearings without concrete evidence of an appropriate incident response plan. In January of 2009, they issued a recommendation to the FAA asking them to develop a Safety Alert that encouraged all Part 91 operators to adopt an SMS including an effective ERP. The external pressure to demonstrate a solid ERP was clear. Who wants to be the next operator to stand in front of the Board without solid evidence of a responsive plan?
External Pressures. Public Opinion.
An aviation accident can create intense media interest. That interest can extend beyond the accident and focus, instead, on the inner workings of the organization. Forward thinking companies recognize this potential and create good plans to cover their bases.
Gap Analysis.
Test your current plan using strategic exercises to see if it performs as desired. Strategic exercises are designed to measure each part of the plan’s effectiveness. They drill down to specific response provisions.
For example, a strategic exercise may be designed to examine just the provision that defines the time required for key decision makers to report to the Emergency Operations Center. Review your definition of success (How long should it take?) Once you have established your expectation, conduct an unannounced drill. The drill should be conducted before or after normal business hours. Credibility matters.
Analyze your current state compared to your desired state. If your response meets the expectations of the plan, great; move on to the next issue. If the exercise uncovers weaknesses, establish achievable goals and build realistic expectations for change.
Keep change expectations realistic. Asking senior executives to drive as fast as possible when transiting to the Command Center might decrease their response time but it is not a safe alternative. The change might have unintended consequences. Instead, consider using technology to link key players as they move toward the Center.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Resistance to even minor changes is normal. Technical aspects of the change, political features, cultural and identity-based components can all create anxiety and resistance. Countermeasures to change resistance are similar to procedures we use to assist victims after an accident.
- Be understanding - provide support
- Communicate honestly
- Allow stakeholder participation and involvement
Leaders and managers sometimes sidestep the third countermeasure. Perhaps they think it will slow down the process. But if you don’t involve stakeholders, your change process will probably fail. Whenever you make a change to the plan, members of your team should report, “They (leaders) listened to me and considered my concerns; they were upfront and honest and they let me get involved.”
Reflection
I often see a lone crusader or small group of champions trying to get the ERP flag up the hill. I try to help the crusaders build broad support and I do my part to help them carry that flag. Engraining an effective ERP into a culture is change; especially for the top people. The ERP makes leaders rethink the way they prepare for the events they would rather not consider.
The planning process requires them to imagine how different their priorities may become; they must consider the potential change to the organization’s brand. And they must examine the long and short-term effects on employees.
Those thoughts can make leaders resist participation in the development and testing of the ERP. They would just really rather not think about it. But, with a cultivated readiness for change and a strategy to overcome the resistance, you can prepare your organization and protect your brand.
References:
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman’s comments. Bombardier 2009 Safety Stand down: www.ntsb. gov/speeches/hersman/daph090929.html
NTSB Member Robert Sumwalt’s remarks. Embry-Riddle Twenty-First Annual Aviation Law & Insurance Symposium:
http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/sumwalt/rls100108.html
From the Harvard Business Review:
Leadership and Change, a Balanced Scorecard Reader
http://hbr.org/2009/04/decoding-resistance-to-change/ar/1
Decoding Resistance to Change http://hbr.org/search/Jeffrey%20D.%20Ford/
Jeffrey D. Ford, http://hbr.org/search/Laurie%20W.%20Ford/
