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Where’s The Magic Answer?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a magic answer
for everything, especially in the areas of Business Continuity?
Sometimes I wonder if there is a magic answer for the perfect BC/DR
software planning tool, the perfect configuration of a redundant
data center, the perfect skill set in a recovery team, the perfect
amount of executive commitment, and the perfect BC/DR budget amount
approved. There isn’t a magic answer for those things. We create
or develop those answers through hard work, research, and
diligence. Even if our approach to developing a Business Continuity
Program is somewhat standardized, there is no cookie cutter
solution, because each company or organization is unique. We
analyze what is needed and then make the magic happen. We ARE the
magic in those answers. Without us, the drivers, our companies and
organizations would stumble along with probably the minimum
protection, hoping they never have to try and work through and then
resume business operations after a large disruption. In order for
us to work our “magic” it does take knowledge, expertise, tools,
industry contacts, and a desire to do all that is necessary to
protect the organization.
I’m sure every employee would want to know that their
company or organization could go on, following a major disruption,
but it’s not their main work objective to ensure that. Yes they
likely have some ownership or interest in business resumption, but
it’s not generally a main performance evaluation point for them. It
is, or should be, for us, the professionals in this field. Our
companies depend on us, maybe without even realizing it, to build
and keep the preparedness level very high, so that survival of the
business is as assured as can be.
Whether your job is 100 % BC/DR or one of the many
closely related areas of responsibility, or it’s an added duty, we
must continually create the magic, by doing whatever it takes. What
a great motto for all sorts of things in life – Whatever It Takes.
Magic may look easy to the audience, but it takes a lot of skill and
work behind the scenes to pull it off. It also takes a lot of skill
and work behind the scenes to build a successful Business Continuity
Program. We sometimes have to be very resourceful and manipulative,
to accomplish the end result, and maybe even bend a little as we do
“whatever it takes”. Adaptability is built into Business
Continuity.
One of the parts I like best about belonging to an
organization like ACP, is the networking benefit. You all have your
own form of magic at your places of work, and to learn about that
and share that is exciting. Many years ago I believed if I kept all
I knew about my work and job, to myself, it meant job security.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. By sharing and
transferring knowledge, we all become teachers and educators, and
broaden our skill-sets, and our companies benefit. I would now
prefer to think that I helped other companies because I shared
something that worked for me, some bit of magic that I created. Ask
yourselves if you are contributing all that you can, to our
industry, to our community, to our organization, and to the groups
like ACP that foster sharing and networking. Check out the
information in our newsletter and on our web site (www.acpsd.org).
You all have friends and acquaintances in the
industry – reach out to them. Thank you.
Jack Boyles, 2008 ACP San Diego Chapter
President
jboyles@myisland.com
Phone: 619-656-7099
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