Preparing for the Unexpected

Diversity & Inclusion is good for you, for your community, and good for you organization. It’s the smart thing to do. Ignoring D&I can create many issues and challenges for organizational leaders. Join me as I talk with speaker, author, and award winning Diversity & Inclusion expert, Michael Bach, about his book “Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right”. Michael and I talk about: a) Define some key terms associated with D&I, including a term you may not be familiar with – Intersectionality, b) Is ‘reverse discrimination’ a real thing?. c) The Social Justice and Creativity & Innovation D&I Models, d) The development of the D&I Business Case, and all that it entails, e) Measuring D&I Success, and f) What gets in the way of D&I. It’s a very interesting talk with Michael, who really shines a different light on the D&I topic, and clears up some common misconceptions about it. He even clears a couple of for me. If you want your organization to be better at its D&I initiative, and understand why it may not be working the way you’d hoped, listen to what Michael has to share. Enjoy!

What opportunities are there in the Resilience / Business Continuity Management (BCM) industry that enable professionals to be - and stay - relevant? The answer to that that question and many more, are discussed as I talk with the CEO of Crisis Ally, Alexandra Hoffmann. In this episode, Alexandra talks about: a) the role of Diversity and Inclusion, b) soft (Human) skills c) linking activity to the organization's purpose (and the overall culture), d) the differences between resilience and sustainability...or the lack thereof, and so much more. Alexandra's passion for the Resilience, Business Continuity Management, and Security industries is easily apparent, as she shares many great insights into how industry professionals can shine before, during, and after, an adverse event. Don't miss it!

Get some clarity on what's happening with COVID, Vaccines, Boosters, the impacts the pandemic is having on the young, and the Omicron variant (as of recording on Dec 8/21). It's my regular talk with industry expert and a former nurse, Regina Phelps. For this episode we talk about: a) Where we are in Canada, USA, and the World, b) The BA.2 Omicron variant ('stealth omicron'), c) Kids and animals catching COVID, d) The possible origin of Omicron, e) Taxing the un-vaxed, f) What the future might looks like, g) The Long Tail of COVID. A very informative talk you don't want to miss.

I talk with the Disaster Recovery Institute Foundation President and Chairman of the Board for the Disaster Recovery Institute International, Al Berman. Al shares his thoughts on: a) Cyber Security. b) Compliance and Regulatory issues, c) Supply Chain issues and causes, and d) the changing face of working from home...post-COVID. Al shares his many years of experience and you don't want to miss his insights.

With temperatures rising and the risk of disasters growing, our world is increasingly vulnerable. Most people see disasters as freak, natural events that are unpredictable and unpreventable. But that simply isn’t the case – disasters are avoidable, but when they do strike, there are strategic ways to manage the fallout. (From book cover) I talk to author and disaster researcher, Dr. Samantha Montano, who'll will talk about her first book - Disasterology - as she explains why we aren’t doing enough to prevent or prepare for disasters and how our approach to recovery needs to change. It's timely narrative that draws on Dr. Montano's first-hand experience in emergency management, and it's an episode you don't want to miss.

If you are a Business Continuity or Resilience professional and you wonder what your future role will look like, or if you struggle to articulate your value to senior management and the business overall, this...is for you. (From the Resilience Think Tank article Articulating Value as a Business Continuity Professional, Jones & Maneva, September 2021). I talk with 2 of the founders of the Resilience Think Tank, Lisa Jones and Milena Maneva, about their published article with the BCI. We have a very informative discussion on how to communicate our value to organizations and where we can help organizations succeed in BCM, Crises, and in Resilience. Some of the topics we touch on include: a) Getting involved with, and how to approach, other organizational disciplines, b) Aligning our BCM program to our organizations, rather than just a standard or guiding principle, c) Tie our actions to risks raised by our organization(s), d) How to break down silos and create a network, and much more. It's a fun chat with Lisa and Milena you don't want to miss.

Get some clarity on what's happening with COVID, Vaccines, Boosters, the impacts the pandemic is having on the young, and the Omicron variant (as of recording on Dec 8/21). It's my regular talk with industry expert and a former nurse, Regina Phelps. For this episode we talk about: a) Where we are right now (US, Canada, Europe...) b) What we know - and don't know - about the Omicron variant c) Understanding boosters d) The impact of vaccines on the young e) Understanding how COVID is harming the young...the ARE getting sick from COVID. f) Myths and misinformation. A very informative talk you don't want to miss.

After 25+ years in Business Continuity, globally recognized Business Continuity industry expert Brian Zawada has released his first book 'The Business Continuity Operating System: What The Best Do Differently to Achieve Success'. I talk with Brian about his book and how organizational leadership (and BC professionals) can: a) align BC to strategic goals, b) achieve lasting focus and buy-in, c) create and maintain meaningful engagement with stakeholders, d) make the role of a BC professions more meaningful, and much much more. Brian walks us through four (4) key questions that all BC professionals can ask their leadership to help create and contribute to, the 'right level of resilience'. Brian also shares his personal experience with contracting COVID19 early in the pandemic and what that felt like. Its a very enjoyable and insightful discussion.

Join me December 2, 2021 at 9am EST, as I talk to Information Security and Business Continuity expert Willy Fabritius on 'How Information Security and Business Continuity are Linked'. We'll talk about how important InfoSec is to an organization and how it differs from Cyber / Infrastructure Security, while identifying where Business Continuity helps overlap. Willy will also discuss Supply Chain Management and how not having a strong process could have a significant impact upon your systems, services, and employees; think of phishing emails and clicking those 'harmless' links in emails. Willy will also provide us some good practices and strong governance recommendations that leaders can implement at their own organization's to ensure strong InfoSec processes that work with BCM, to ensure a better protected organization. Will provides some great insights and even throws in some humor into a subject often seen as dry and dull. Don't miss it!

It's that time again! I talk with internationally recognized industry expert Regina Phelps, as we touch on all things relatable to the current COVID pandemic. This month we talk about: a) Current status (Global status including US, Canada, Europe etc.) b) The Crystal Ball: What does the future hold for the next few months (Vaccines, status, immunity etc.) c) Endemic vs Epidemic vs Pandemic (What's the difference?) d) The upcoming holidays and suggestions for the difficult conversations about vaccine statuses, and lots more! Don't forget to check out the Health and Human Services toolkit referenced in the episode: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/health-misinformation-toolkit-english.pdf