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carolyn,
Having planning ahead of any crisis is a professional practice. We can't maybe have all situations covered but just having a plan in place will reduce the stress and get you moving in the right direction. Some crisis planning is obvious.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Yes, I believe it is not only possible but necessary to plan for a crisis situation. Although not all crises can be planned for, to have the basic structures in place to be proactive in emergency situations can not only save time, resources but lives.
In the case of the recent marathon tragedy, police and cities were well-prepared to act quickly and precisely because a plan was already in place. Although it did not stop the tragedy from happening, it stopped the people who caused the crimes, prevented more deaths and tragedy, and helped restore safety and calm to a very anxious and fearful public.
Yamil,
It is always a plus to have people who will test a plan and theories. When this is the case the plan usually will pass the test of being a viable plan.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Yamil,
Planning is essential. Crisis plans help to give you your plan "A" and if it needs to be adjusted you can move in alternative directions. It is a good way to start your actions in time of crisis.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Selecting person, whio genrally are smarter than yourself, and that have the attitude and fire to contribute to the success, is essential. Also matching the right takent to the right job is crucial.
What is situations present an open ended questions, that is they may create more than they answer. It is important to priortize the "what ifs", an arrow the most exingent ones. Otherwise it is mind boggling to try and adress every circumstance that could pop up.
Absolutely it is possble to pan for a crises. Some are know to happen in cycles, suc as natural disasters There is plenty that can be done. A contingency plan once it appens is also helpful.
An IT crises acn be averted by constatnt updates, oversight, bredgehead monitoring, education, enforcing rules, and backups.
Sarah,
It is beneficial for us to allow others to consider what could be a crisis, After you get the crisis list in order have a committee propose plans of action. Carefully go through plans "A" and "B". We can foresee all potentials but portions of plans can work. I have had my share of my crisis with weather, fire and even violence. It is better to be proactive than to not have any plan at all.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I believe that if you have a plan, and discuss and/or role play often, that it is possible that you can respond appropriately during a crisis situation. I don't believe however, that you can possibly be prepared for every crisis scenario that may come up. The most important thing is to have your plan and leaders in place. With the number of crises we have seen over the past 10-15 years, it would be remiss not to consider all types of situations that may need to be addressed and talk about the plan OFTEN.
Dale,
Proactive crisis planning can be done when considering the instances of crisis. Such as loss of electricity, weather hazards, water damage, wind damage, safety and security, catastrophe and life endangerment.
Dr. Gary Carlson
It seems like a cost/benefit analysis question. It is certainly possible to plan for many different possible crisis situations, but not wise to plan for ones that are unlikely to ever occur. All potential crisis must have a probability of occuring, which can change over time, but actual energy of planning and preparation should only be devoted to those where the potential is high, or the consequence of not being prepared is catastrophic. One could look at what such catastrophic events as when the space shuttle burned up on re-entry. The crisis was caused by damage to the ship during lift off, but the potential for this damage was considered low. Because of the low rating of this potential steps were not taking to confirm that no damage had been done, but the result was catastrophic. It isn't that any particular crisis cannot be anticipated and planned for but rather that resources and time being limited, only a limited set can be addressed.
Rosamond,
When we are proactive we protect ourselves and others. There is always adversity that arises throughout our lives but with faith we can be make a difference for ourselves and those we touch.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Yes,because their are always risks when exploring any new avenues of opportunities, so you must plan for the what ifs.
James ,
Good point we cannot always know what the crisis will be. But we can plan for the obvious. This would be loss of physical plant, electricity, heat, cooling or even more tragic a terrorist activity. What would you do and what would your team do.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I believe it is possible to plan for a crisis but maybe not all crisis. If it a natural disaster perhaps when it starts raining and continues at an above average rate for a longer than nornal period you certenly could plans to get some sandbags and make an evacuation plan. If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes you could be somewhat prepared. However the unexpected can happen.
Caren,
Good planning makes a world of difference. When the crisis may be a little different than planned the strategy may be the same with some adjustments. Stress can be reduced when you are prepared.
Dr. Gary Carlson
It might not be possible to plan for every crisis or even identify every possible crisis. But you can certainly plan for a crisis situation in advance if you are able to identify the possible crisis. For instance, we live/work in Florida and we have a hurricane preparedness plan in place for our campus. How to best protect our technology, students, records, and staff members in the event of a storm. We have put the plan in action a couple of times and luckily never had too serious of events.... so far.
ARGELIA,
It is important to plan for the worst scenarios in your plan. Anything less places your goals in danger.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Absolutely agree. Planning for the worst case scenerius is extremely useful even if it never happens. It is also important to review, update and change the plan as neccessary. Situations and experiences change the plan.
Yvonne,
A crisis team or strategic team need to have people who have knowledge and high expertise in their field. My examples are results of a federal investigation and some of our schools that were directly hit by a hurricane. Our team was intstrumental in keeping operations at normal and getting the everyday perforance levels at a high.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I liked reading in this course about the importance of identifying a crisis management team. I work with one; however, I call them " my strategic team". This has been successful . For me the key is to identify people who respect others, are passionate about the mission and who strive to think out of the box sharing new ideas to reach excellence!