Using EdTech as a Preparedness Plan

Over the past week, I've been posting on LinkedIn, Twitter, sending out notices regarding preparation and finding resources in the event an institution or business requires a quarantine period. Many people have reached out and some have noted the difficulty in knowing where to begin! 

I offered our team to assist in strategic planning and connections to companies and resources that can bridge connectivity to keep the business focus strong and day-to-day operations going with virtual options. So why worry about others and their efforts? 

It’s a domino effect. If your supplier can’t fulfill product orders, if offices can’t have phones answered or doors open, or if the leadership of a team or company can’t be made available, it’s difficult to get what you need to serve your audience.  That can make it difficult for your organization and expands if you’re struggling with your staffing to keep things moving forward.

We always talk about preparation but most businesses don’t think through the worst-case scenario. We think about employees absent for a cold or vacation; a supplier with delayed deliveries due to an incident, or even a three-day weekend. Where we miss our focus is on impact issues, the ones we hope never happen or know in advance will create a huge deficiency in how you do business. For it doesn’t matter whether you’re a startup, a ground business, or in education; the impact can be the same and the long-term repercussions can be felt by all.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen this happen with severe weather. Schools who were suddenly closed indefinitely due to damage, hurricanes wiped out homes and businesses, and many areas were cut off by floodwaters, with minimal damage but made it impossible for employees to reach their offices.

So now is the time to plan and also to evaluate your preparedness. Use this as an opportunity to review your strategies and ‘what if’s’ folder, updating and making changes as warranted. Look at contingencies for those vendors and products you typically utilize. If production slows, you will need to plan to adjust while focusing on keeping your doors open - physically or virtually - daily.

As Denis Waitley says, "Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised."

While all unknowns are always scary, it can also be looked at as an opportunity for teamwork and a commitment to employees and those outside your organization who are your audience. Together, we will make it through any potential disruption.