JUNE 2021HR TECH OUTLOOK8Quentin SaLay, Vice President Human Resources, Comcast [NASDAQ:CMCSA]ByDoes the Success of Crisis Management Depend on Preparation or LeadershipThe great novelist Stephen King says, "There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst." Conventional wisdom has it that how you show up in a crisis is a good indicator of who you are as a leader. While I hold this as true, is being prepared or showing up in a crisis a dichotomy?Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the preparedness of organizations to successfully manage and, navigate the organization through this crisis with a solid leadership is pivotal. This is not rehearsal but the live event, playing out in real-time, while your employees, stakeholders, and customers stand watching.Over time we have learned to prepare for the unknown by studying models on how to manage the unforeseen and unpredictable. These models and how leaders have responded successfully are great maps, but now it's your turn. Although organizations are now better prepared to respond to a myriad of unexpected events such as natural disasters, economic downturns, and network disruptions, no plan can account for the unknown, catastrophes such as COVID-19. It is fair to say that no organization or leader could have been 100% prepared for COVID-19. Preparation is the key to crisis management. It's not a fool's errand, but instead forward-thinking, strategic, obligatory, and smart to safeguard the company and its greatest asset-People! Prepared or not all the employees, customers, and stakeholders are looking up to business leaders for guidance and direction in the present state of a crisis. These five tips can help you step up to the challenge as a leader: Si visPacem, para Bellum ­ "If you want peace, prepare for war," this original Latin expression was first quoted in the book "Epitoma Rei Militaris" by Roman general Vegetius. The point is having a crisis plan before a crisis hits.Do Not Add to the Chaos:Get the right people in the room. Identify who the most influential individuals are to lead during a crisis and enlist them in the planning and ongoing crisis management efforts. They may not be your trusted staff you rely upon during normal operations. Reach across the enterprise and get the right people in strategic positions from each respective area of the business and start by identifying the immediate problem areas and Quentin SaLay
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