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Did you know that most companies that experience a major crisis without adequate preparation see their survival compromised within two years of the event*? How well is your company truly prepared for the unexpected?
As a manager, it is essential to regularly assess your organization’s actual capacity to handle a major incident, operational disruption, or crisis. Implementing preventive measures and mitigation strategies is a good start, but their effectiveness must be ensured. This is where tests and exercises become essential. They allow you to assess your ability to implement planned measures and maintain your activities within the prescribed timelines. We invite you to explore different possible approaches and discover how we can assist you in this process.
The goal of this article is to raise awareness, so we will limit ourselves to a few scenarios.
Why Testing Your Crisis Preparedness Is Essential
Tests and exercises play a crucial role in training, evaluation, and continuous improvement of organizational capabilities. They help to:
- Identify progress and gaps in business continuity plans.
- Detect incorrect or outdated assumptions.
- Ensure participants understand their roles and responsibilities.
- Strengthen team coordination and collaboration.
- Test the effectiveness and synchronization of procedures.
To learn more about this process and understand the different execution stages, check out our detailed article on the topic.
Three Approaches to Test Your Company’s Resilience
There are three main approaches to testing implemented measures, each with distinct objectives and methodologies.
1- Train to Fail: Pushing Limits and Identifying Weaknesses
“Train to Fail” exercises aim to identify weaknesses and limitations in existing procedures. Designed to push teams and systems to their limits, even failure, these complex and extreme scenarios expose vulnerabilities before a real crisis occurs.
2- Train to Succeed: Validating Procedures and Building Confidence
Conversely, “Train to Succeed” exercises ensure that teams can correctly apply procedures and effectively manage a crisis. These exercises follow realistic scenarios with achievable solutions, guiding participants toward success to boost their confidence and demonstrate the effectiveness of established measures.
3- Train to Learn: Encouraging Learning and Adaptability
At Benoit Racette Services-Conseils Inc., we prioritize the “Train to Learn” approach with our clients, as it promotes learning, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Unlike other approaches, which may sometimes create a false sense of security or generate unnecessary stress, “Train to Learn” genuinely prepares teams for the unknown by developing their ability to adapt and make quick decisions. Rather than simply executing procedures mechanically, participants learn to analyze, decide, and adapt in emergency situations. This approach builds their confidence and autonomy, better equipping them to handle real-world challenges.
How We Help You Prepare Better
Our experts have developed and implemented over 500 business continuity plans and exercises, with measurable results in responsiveness and resilience. We have the experience needed to design and execute tests and exercises tailored to your specific needs, whether you are new to the process or more experienced.
Different types of exercises can be conducted following best practices, including:
- Tabletop Exercises: These allow for reviewing the content of resilience plans, procedures, and the sequencing of actions using an evolving scenario.
- Speed Testing Exercises: Short and intensive sessions designed to interactively validate specific elements of the plans or the knowledge of responsible personnel. These exercises complement tabletop exercises.
- Live Simulations: These replicate a crisis in a controlled environment, directly engaging teams on the ground. These immersive exercises assess employees’ responsiveness in real situations and help identify concrete areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Regularly testing the measures in place to handle crises is essential to ensuring your organization’s resilience. Whether you want to review an existing testing and exercise program or plan specific tests and exercises, we put our expertise at your service.
Contact us today at [email protected]. We would be happy to assist you. For more information, visit our website: https://www.racetteconseils.com.
*Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Ready Business Program, 2018.