Human Factors in Crisis Management
The “Human Factor” is the single greatest variable in your BCP program. You can have plans, strategies, multiple contingencies but it still comes down to people and their inner workings. People have their biases and beliefs There is a level of narcissism and a need for control. Also, there is a fear of failing in front of their peers or a fear of reprisal.
These various kinds of stress can have an impact on decision-making. The belief that they must solve all issues without collaboration can lead to unfavorable results. Knowing the personalities of the team and how they work together can greatly improve the quality of your BCP program. Training is key here.
A grouping of the various factors each person on a crisis management team brings with them that you must deal with include:
- Decision Making Styles
- Conflict Styles
- Education
- Family History
- Narcissism
I believe that key crisis management team members should be selected based on ability to execute and not just because they are senior leaders in a particular role. Look out for leaders taking over and not collaborating. Infighting, inability to make decisions, and other similar traits are also not desirable. Some people thrive on pressure while others don’t. People’s view of the leader can have a positive or negative impact. Mix up the teams, change the leaders, require primaries work with alternates, use team building exercises, etc. to build a cohesive, well-oiled team that can stand strong in the heat of a crisis.
About MHA: MHA Consulting, with its decade-long track record, is a proven leader in business continuity planning, disaster recovery planning, IT best practices and data center moves and relocations. Every day, MHA helps protect trillions of dollars of global-market assets and top companies around the world rely on MHA services for the continuity of their business. For more information on MHA, contact Michael Herrera at [email protected].
Michael Herrera
Michael Herrera is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MHA. In his role, Michael provides global leadership to the entire set of industry practices and horizontal capabilities within MHA. Under his leadership, MHA has become a leading provider of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery services to organizations on a global level. He is also the founder of BCMMETRICS, a leading cloud based tool designed to assess business continuity compliance and residual risk. Michael is a well-known and sought after speaker on Business Continuity issues at local and national contingency planner chapter meetings and conferences. Prior to founding MHA, he was a Regional VP for Bank of America, where he was responsible for Business Continuity across the southwest region.
