AmalfiCORE Blog

Organizational Reslience – Not a New Concept

Organizational resilience is not a new topic. The concept has been around for many years and may date back to 1626 coming “…from the Latin words resiliens and resilire, meaning to rebound”. [1]

What is new is the way it is being applied. [2] Many companies use emergency management, business continuity, and organizational resilience interchangeably. [3]  I think they are each different.

To me, resilience is the ability to endure stress, chaos, and personal impact, continue working and living through the impact, and enduring a life (or work) beyond the impact period. Resilience speaks to a capability to persist. That capability takes planning and practice.

I found a central theme in our first weekly readings that speaks to organizational resilience as  the notion of a ‘new’ ways of looking at reality. There is a strong suggestion from many sources that resilience is improved by with the open sharing and networking of key concepts with a large group of stakeholders. This would especially be true for a company which depends on employees and a supply chain to continue during tough times or a crisis. Here, there is a similarity with business continuity.

I think that business continuity and risk management are ‘cousins’ of organizational resilience. Each is necessary and connected, but left alone each discipline leaves out an important feature and strength of the other.

For example, risk managers look at financial exposure as a result of a crisis and determine ways to avoid that exposure; continuity professionals would understand the natural and man-made vulnerabilities and put plans in place to ensure the business survives through the crisis. Organizational resilience (managers) help build an infrastructure and culture that thinks, prepares, and performs in a flexible way to adapt to the new pressures of a changing environment and society.

References

[1] Oldfield, Robert. 2008. “Organizational Resilience“. QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. Source accessed 3-7-10: http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0618.html

[2] Ceridian, 2006.”Building Organizational Resilience“. Source accessed 3-7-10: https://norwich.angellearning.com/AngelUploads/Content/MSBC_LOR/_assoc/msbc_sem03/msbc_s3_reading_page/msbc_s3_reading_PDF/wk01_Building_Organizational_Resilience_ceridian.pdf

[3] McManus, Sonia, Seville, Erica, Brunsdon , Dave, and Vargo, John. 2007. “Resilience Management-A Framework for Assessing and Improving the Resilience of Organisations“. Resilient Organizations, Source accessed 3-7-10: https://norwich.angellearning.com/AngelUploads/Content/MSBC_LOR/_assoc/msbc_sem03/msbc_s3_reading_page/msbc_s3_reading_PDF/wk01_Resilience_Management_framework_Res_Org.pdf

Adapatation – Key to Resilience

Nelson says that a resilient organization achieves  its core objectives under all conditions. [1] Understanding and anticipating what ‘all’ means can be critical and is probably a daunting task. I propose that we (an organization) cannot anticipate all conditions, stresses, or unforeseen impacts to our business. Therefore, we should prepare in a proactive way to put systems and processes in place that are strong and can withstand a variety of stresses. We must institute an adaptable approach to how we manage and lead our organization.

After reading Oldfield’s discussion on organizational resilience in Continuity Insights, I was struck with his direct approach to the subject of adaptation as a key ingredient. He used a quote from Darwin that we know as “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” [2]

If adaptation is critical to survival, then I think it becomes a key element of a resilient organization. As is the case with other disciplines, sports games, or even relationships, without the strength, fortitude, and capability to adapt to new situations, the game is lost or the relationship fails. If that relationship  is between a company and its customers, a city and its citizens, or an organization and its members, then there is a lot at stake.

There are many other important aspects of resilience in an organization not to be dismissed. Another which stands out for me is the concept of sharing of information across platforms and people – the concept of interoperability. [3] As the world becomes less physically close and more virtually close, there can be more threats and ways of disruption and also more opportunities for success and productivity.

I think our (business, organization, people) ability to share in the planning, share in the crisis, and share in the recovery is a new way of looking at how to be resilient during the next several years.

References

[1] Nelson, Lynnda ,2010. “Characteristics of a Resilient Organization”, from Norwich MSBC Seminar 3 Lecture.

[2] Oldfield, Robert. 2008. “Organizational Resilience“. QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. Source accessed 3-7-10: http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0618.html

[3] Solomon, Richard and Brown, Sheryl, J., 2007. “Creating a Common Communications Culture: Interoperability in Crisis Management“, Virtual Diplomacy Initiative, USIP, United States Institute of Peace.

Self Resiliency

Have you ever left home, travelled a few minutes or a few miles and realized you left your cell phone/pda back on your desk?  What did you do, turn around and get it or continue on your way? If you’re like me, you might have reacted like this:

First – I get a little tinge of anxiety. Oops, oh, uh, OK, I wonder where I left my blackberry;

Second – I wonder if I really need it today, that thought lasts about 3 seconds and then I determine, well, of course I ‘need’ it;

Third – Yes, turn around, regardless of how that impacts my schedule and I go get the phone.

All this, just for a cell phone. What about major disasters, crisis, and emergencies – are we adaptively resilient? (Well, yes, I am trained and experienced in emergencies and wilderness situations, but…, I still returned back for that darn phone!)

We spend a lot of time and energy discussing and planning to build a resilient organization and that is good and necessary. How much time and energy do we spend on our own attitude, that of our team, our employees or our citizens? What about individual resilience?

I’m just wondering how we can expect to come together as a team, an organization, or across nations and build resiliency without also focusing on the individual.

In a very well presented book titled “When Technology Fails – A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency”, Matthew Stein offers the reader tips, tools, and techniques for personal resilience. Much of the substance of the book is founded on well-known principles ,but Stein presents in a way that captures our interest. Initially, Stein focuses on what can happen and why and then moves through dozens of survival, sustainable, and resilient topics. It’s a great read if you wish to be more prepared for the inevitable dynamics of our changing environment.

References

[1] “Stein, Matthew, 2008. “When Technology Fails – A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency“. Chelsea Green Publishing Vermont