Managing Uncertainty: Recent Episodes
Bryghtpath LLC
Welcome to Managing Uncertainty, a podcast series discussing global risk, crisis management, business continuity, and crisis communications. You’ll learn strategies, tactics, and resources about preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all sorts of disruptions and critical moments.
Will you be ready to lead through your company’s critical moment?
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores key insights from Forrester’s 2025 report, Building a Security Org for the Future. Bryan breaks down how cybersecurity leadership is shifting from tactical execution to strategic influence—where CISOs are now expected to lead through credibility, relationships, and alignment with …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, explores key insights from the 2025 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report. He discusses how modern adversaries are behaving more like high-speed startups—leveraging generative AI, identity compromise, and sophisticated non-malware tactics to scale attacks quickly. With breakout times now averaging just …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, unpacks the key findings from the 2025 National Risk Study by Deloitte and NEMA. This nationwide assessment reveals the stark realities facing state emergency management agencies—rising disaster complexity, funding challenges, workforce gaps, and outdated systems. Bryan explores why these …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores the operational, reputational, and strategic risks organizations face when a major cloud provider like AWS experiences an outage. Bryan breaks down why most companies are underprepared for large-scale cloud disruptions and what executive leaders must do differently to ensure …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores how to design and lead effective crisis or continuity exercises with your Board of Directors. These sessions are often filled with hesitation, but when approached with clarity and strategic framing, they become a powerful opportunity to build influence and …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser walks through ten high-impact crisis scenarios that organizations should prioritize in their tabletop exercises for 2025. From cyber extortion and data exfiltration to executive malfeasance and misinformation, these scenarios are drawn from real-world threats affecting the world’s leading companies. Bryan outlines how each scenario challenges …
In this episode, Bryan Strawser tackles one of the most frustrating patterns in resilience and continuity programs: the trap of check-the-box compliance. He unpacks how performative efforts that focus solely on documentation or audits undermine actual readiness and stall progress toward maturity. Bryan also explores the equally dangerous alternative—doing nothing—and why that’s no better. Instead, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath explores the critical role of the Board of Directors during times of crisis. Boards are often looked to for leadership and assurance, but their responsibilities are frequently misunderstood. Bryan outlines how directors can provide strategic oversight without stepping into operational decision-making. Drawing on …
Too many organizations treat crisis exercises as one-dimensional drills focused on ransomware and cybersecurity. While those scenarios are critical, they don’t prepare leaders for the full spectrum of disruptions that can impact operations, reputation, and people. In this episode, Bryan Strawser breaks down why your exercise program can’t live on cyber alone. He explores what’s …
Crisis exercises are meant to test decision-making and build organizational confidence. But too often, they fail because executives and other key players haven’t been trained on the crisis management framework. Instead of practicing decisions, the exercise gets bogged down in debates about the scenario or the process. In this episode, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath explains …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores why training your team before an exercise is essential for success. Too often, organizations treat exercises as teaching moments rather than validation tools. The result is confusion, wasted time, and missed opportunities to truly measure resilience. Bryan explains how …
Artificial intelligence is transforming how organizations prepare for and respond to disruption. From predictive analytics to automated crisis communications, AI offers powerful tools to strengthen resilience. But it also introduces new risks, including overreliance, bias, and vulnerabilities that can erode trust. In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath CEO Bryan Strawser explores whether …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath explores how the role of the resilience leader has evolved. Once viewed primarily as a compliance function focused on writing plans and running exercises, today’s resilience leader is expected to operate as a strategic influencer. Influence, not documentation, is the new measure of …
In this episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser tackles one of the most common — and dangerous — mistakes leaders make in a crisis: doing nothing. Drawing on decades of experience in crisis management, business continuity, and organizational resilience, Bryan explains why waiting for perfect information can paralyze a response …
The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Resilience Pulse Check delivers a clear message: most organizations are still underprepared for the complex, interconnected risks shaping our world. In this episode, Bryan Strawser breaks down the WEF’s findings and shares Bryghtpath’s proven strategies for closing capability gaps, integrating resilience into strategy, and turning disruption into a competitive advantage. …
In this episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryan Strawser shares lessons from his experience leading security and resilience at a Fortune 30 retailer, reflecting on what it takes to build a high-performing, future-focused team. From hiring with intent to fostering a culture of trust and accountability, Bryan outlines the principles that helped shape a team whose …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores the growing influence of generative AI on the resilience profession. He unpacks the current and emerging use cases of AI in business continuity, crisis management, and risk intelligence—and what these shifts could mean for practitioners. Bryan emphasizes the importance …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the impacts of global political upheavals such as Brexit, the Russia-Ukraine war, and US-China trade tensions on crisis management and resilience planning for businesses. We explore the far-reaching effects of geopolitical risks on supply chains, economic stability, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, dives into strategies for building a resilient remote and hybrid workforce. Bryan explores the unique challenges that come with remote work, including communication barriers during crises, increased cybersecurity risks, and operational disruptions due to unreliable internet connections. Listeners will …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into mastering ransomware and cyber extortion crises through holistic crisis management strategies. Drawing from Bryghtpath’s latest white paper, “Managing the Whole Crisis: A Comprehensive Approach to Ransomware and Cyber Extortion Incidents,” Bryan emphasizes the necessity of preparation, comprehensive response planning, and effective leadership. He highlights the critical need for organizations to address the entire scope of a cyber crisis, going beyond just technical solutions to include human-centered strategies and proactive planning. Listeners will gain valuable insights from real-world case studies that illustrate the …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into five critical threats that resilience leaders need to prioritize as we approach the latter half of 2024. From the geopolitical upheavals related to the global election cycle to the rising tensions in the South China Sea, Bryan …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into mastering ransomware and cyber extortion crises through holistic crisis management strategies. Drawing from Bryghtpath’s latest white paper, “Managing the Whole Crisis: A Comprehensive Approach to Ransomware and Cyber Extortion Incidents,” Bryan emphasizes the necessity of preparation, comprehensive …
In Episode 259 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the heightened expectations and pressures faced by Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) in 2024. Drawing from a recent Wall Street Journal article, Bryan outlines ten critical areas where CISOs are struggling, including personal accountability for data breaches, the challenge of aligning security initiatives with business goals, and the need for effective board-level communication. Bryan offers practical strategies for CISOs to navigate these challenges, such as transparent reporting, continuous training, and leveraging advanced technologies like AI and machine learning to manage resource constraints. …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the complexities of crisis management and business continuity in remote work environments. Bryan shares actionable strategies to overcome communication barriers, enhance cybersecurity, and adapt business continuity plans for remote employees. Key tactics include utilizing multiple communication channels, conducting regular check-ins, and emphasizing results-based management to keep remote teams productive and secure. Bryan also highlights real-world examples from Bryghtpath’s clients, illustrating the benefits and challenges of a remote-first hiring approach. Learn how mass notification tools can track employee locations and ensure effective communication …
In this insightful episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, host Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath delves into the critical indicators that it may be time to change jobs. Drawing from his extensive experience in business continuity, crisis management, and corporate security, Bryan shares personal anecdotes and practical advice to help listeners recognize signs of burnout, stagnation, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the crucial role of honesty and straightforward communication in effective crisis management. Bryan discusses the power of candor and how it can build trust and foster innovation within organizations, especially during high-stakes situations. He shares real-world examples, including a tense active shooter scenario, to illustrate how clear and direct communication can cut through confusion and lead to better decision-making. Bryan also emphasizes the importance of creating a culture where honesty is not just accepted but expected. He provides practical tips on balancing …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, host Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the ten critical considerations for preparing your business for the uncertainties of the 2024 U.S. elections. Bryan outlines strategies to navigate potential political changes, economic impacts, and the importance of maintaining a resilient supply chain. Listeners …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive of Bryghtpath, delves into the transformative role of artificial intelligence in crisis management. Bryan explores seven actionable ways AI can enhance decision-making and crisis preparedness, from predictive analytics and automated response systems to AI-driven scenario simulations and sentiment analysis. By leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT, organizations can optimize their crisis communication strategies and recovery efforts, ultimately boosting business resilience and continuity. Listeners will gain insights into the latest advancements in AI-driven technologies and how these can be applied in real-world crisis management scenarios. Bryan shares practical …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the essential role that Human Resources (HR) plays in effective crisis management. With 30 years of experience, Bryan underscores why HR is just as critical as communications, physical security, and information security teams during a crisis. He …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive of Bryghtpath, delves into the critical topic of cybersecurity for resilience professionals. With nearly two decades of experience in crisis management, Bryan highlights the transition from handling physical disruptions to navigating complex cybersecurity threats. He emphasizes that understanding the technological backbone …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, shares his secrets to creating high-quality video content while on the move. Recording from the Wisconsin Dells, Bryan provides insights into his mobile video setup, which includes an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Joby Telepod tripod. He emphasizes the importance of using simple tools to maintain authenticity and relatability in video content, even amidst a busy schedule filled with dance competitions and business meetings. Bryan discusses the practicality of recording Instagram Reels, Facebook Shorts, and YouTube Shorts on the go, leveraging the simplicity …
In this milestone 250th episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, we delve into the evolution of business continuity and crisis management in the post-COVID era. Host Bryan Strawser, along with the Bryghtpath team, takes us on a journey from the podcast’s modest beginnings in a Phoenix Airbnb to today’s landscape, where technology and remote work …
In this crucial installment of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath discusses the imperative of garnering effective feedback from business partners to bolster resilience strategies. Episode #249, titled “What do your business partners think?”, dives deep into the importance of active listening and asking pointed questions that reveal the core concerns and initiatives …
In this solemn Memorial Day episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Episode #248, Bryan Strawser, Principal and CEO of Bryghtpath, pays tribute to the gallantry and supreme sacrifice of US Army Captain Benjamin L. Solomon during World War II. Solomon’s remarkable crisis leadership as a regimental surgeon in the Battle of Saipan is highlighted, revealing his unwavering commitment to his comrades and country. His posthumous Medal of Honor citation is examined, illustrating the exceptional bravery that has safeguarded our freedoms. As we reflect on the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes, Bryan delves into the gripping narrative of Captain Solomon, who, …
In Episode #247 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, dives into the critical topic of leading with resilience through uncertain times. He offers a comprehensive guide on how leaders can strengthen their organizations and navigate the complexities of global challenges. Bryan outlines a strategic approach to crisis management, …
In this milestone episode, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive of Bryghtpath, takes us on a reflective journey through the past decade of the company’s existence. Bryan shares ten critical lessons learned from Bryghtpath’s experiences in business continuity and crisis management, highlighting the growth and adaptation necessary for overcoming the unpredictable challenges faced by organizations. Each lesson serves as a testament to Bryghtpath’s commitment to resilience and offers valuable insights into the importance of preparation, strategic thinking, and the ever-evolving landscape of global threats. Bryan gets personal about the trials and triumphs encountered along the way, from mastering sales as …
Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, where your host, Bryan Strawser, explores the dynamic world of corporate communication through the lens of video content. In episode #245, Bryan discusses the undeniable power of visual storytelling and its critical role in enhancing organizational resilience. As we navigate the digital evolution in a post-COVID landscape, this episode …
In Episode #244 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath shares his personal saga with adapting to the latest Mac technology. After decades of being an Apple user, Bryan faces unexpected challenges when transitioning to a new MacBook Pro. This episode is a candid journey through the trials of technological upgrades and the unexpected hiccups that come with cutting-edge devices. Through his experience, Bryan draws parallels to the core principles of business continuity and disaster recovery. The episode serves as a reminder of why testing and preparation are crucial in both technology setups and professional contexts.
In this insightful episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, titled “Operational Crisis Communications,” host Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath discusses the critical importance of establishing a single source of truth during organizational crises. He shares his expertise on crafting effective situational updates and maintaining consistent communication channels, such as email and mass notification systems. Listeners will learn the value of a clear update cadence and the necessity of communicating both activation and deactivation of crisis management teams. Bryan emphasizes the challenges that organizations face in managing information flow during emergencies and offers practical strategies to prevent the confusion that can arise …
In this insightful episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Episode #242, titled “Mental Health and Employee Well-Being in a Crisis,” Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, revisits the ever-important topic of mental health in the workplace during crisis situations. Reflecting on the lessons learned from the COVID pandemic, Bryan delves into the various ways prolonged crises like a pandemic can impact mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, and burnout among employees. He stresses the need for crisis management plans to integrate mental health considerations from the outset, rather than as an afterthought. Bryan provides listeners with practical tools …
In Episode #241 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, host Bryan Strawser takes a deep dive into the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Having a personal connection to the bridge from his time in Baltimore, Bryan reflects on the critical moments and decisions that helped to prevent what could have been an even greater tragedy. He discusses the importance of the mayday call from the vessel Dali, the timing of the collapse, and the effective emergency response that followed. The episode also explores the broader implications of the bridge collapse on business resilience, supply chain disruptions, …
In this compelling episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, host Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive at Bryghtpath, dives deep into the nexus of Roger Martin’s business strategy principles and the critical concept of organizational resilience. Bryan provides listeners with a detailed exploration of ten transformative strategies designed to not only equip businesses for survival in times of crisis but to enable them to thrive in the aftermath. From the innovative application of integrative thinking to the powerful impact of transparent leadership, this episode is a masterclass in fortifying your business against the unforeseeable challenges of the modern business landscape. …
In this thought-provoking episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the intricate relationship between business strategy and resilience. Drawing from the groundbreaking work of Roger Martin, former Dean of the Rotman School of Management, Bryan explores the concept of integrative thinking and its vital role in transcending traditional decision-making. He reflects on Martin’s collaboration with AJ Lafley in “Playing to Win,” highlighting how strategic choices can lead to a dominant position in the competitive market. Bryan also shares a personal anecdote from his tenure as head of innovation, showcasing the impact of design …
In this episode, we unveil a strategic 10-step roadmap to align your business continuity and crisis management program with your organization’s strategic goals. Whether you’re facing stakeholder apathy or a misalignment of strategies, this episode is an indispensable resource for resilience leaders seeking to drive their programs toward triumph. Bryan discusses the critical importance of a thorough gap analysis, the nuances of engaging stakeholders in productive conversations, and the necessity of fostering a culture of resilience within your organization. He emphasizes the significance of clear communication, policy simplification, leveraging technology, and the continuous education of employees on resilience and its …
In this must-listen episode, our host, Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive at Bryghtpath, dives into the transformative NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0. This updated framework is a crucial tool for business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, and crisis communications professionals seeking to strengthen their organization’s cyber defenses. Bryan breaks down the six core components of the NIST CSF 2.0 and discusses its integration into enterprise risk management, highlighting the strategic decisions that are vital for robust cybersecurity. Listeners will gain valuable insights into assessing their current cybersecurity posture, conducting a gap analysis, and developing actionable plans for both immediate and …
In the latest episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, delves into the critical task of obtaining executive support for resilience programs. Strawser emphasizes the necessity of aligning such initiatives with a company’s strategic objectives and presents an eight-step strategy for developing a persuasive business case. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for professionals seeking to advocate for business continuity, crisis management, and crisis communication investments within their organizations. Listeners will learn how to articulate their business needs clearly, present a solid financial analysis, and outline the potential risks and benefits …
In episode #235 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, host Bryan Strawser discusses the critical aspects of creating a Business Continuity Dashboard. Bryan walks us through the importance of both operational and strategic metrics, such as the number of Business Continuity plans and their status, for the long-term success and continuous improvement of the program. He highlights the value of Business Impact Analysis (BIA) reporting and offers insights on effective visualization techniques like funnel charts. This episode delves deeper into exercise metrics such as tracking annual tabletop exercises for each plan and managing open action items. It also brings to light …
In this insightful episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath breaks down the 11 crucial elements of a solid business continuity program. Discover how to foster organizational resilience by establishing clear governance policies, conducting comprehensive risk assessments, and performing impactful business impact analyses. Bryan guides listeners through developing tailored business continuity strategies, enhancing employee preparedness, and the importance of regular plan exercises to not just survive but thrive during disruptions. Listeners will learn the significance of maintaining up-to-date business continuity plans, ensuring effective crisis communication, and the necessity of coordinating with external parties. Additionally, Bryan highlights the critical alignment …
In this riveting episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, join host Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, as he shares vital strategies for fortifying your business against the unpredictable. Episode 233 delves into the crucial topic of business continuity and the implementation of effective strategies that ensure organizational resilience. Bryan imparts five strategic keys that promise to transform your approach to crisis management and preparedness communication throughout all levels of your enterprise. From multimedia engagement to leadership involvement and stakeholder awareness, Bryan emphasizes the importance of a proactive culture and robust governance in crises. He recounts a powerful …
In this episode, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, dives into a McKinsey & Company report that outlines the top priorities for CEOs in the year 2024. The discussion centers on the intersection of leadership, technology, and strategic planning as companies face a rapidly evolving business landscape. Key Points Discussed: Generative AI and Advanced Analytics: The episode kicks off with a discussion on why embracing generative AI tops McKinsey’s list for CEO priorities. Bryan emphasizes the significance of leveraging AI to drive growth and innovation. Outcompeting with Technology: Technology integration is essential for business agility. Bryan shares observations …
In this insightful episode, host Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, tackles the crucial topic of organizational resilience in the face of increasing geopolitical risks. He emphasizes the pivotal role that boards of directors have in navigating these uncertain times and ensuring business continuity and crisis management are at the forefront of strategic planning. Key Discussions: Debunking Myths: Bryan addresses the common misconception that boards and executive leadership are indifferent to resilience planning, asserting the contrary – that geopolitical risk is a top priority for 2024. Board Expertise: He examines recent regulations from the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission …
In the latest episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, host Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath unveils the critical top 10 predictions for business continuity and crisis management as we step into 2024. Episode #230 is a treasure trove of insights and strategies for businesses seeking to fortify their defenses against the dual threats of cyber attacks and climate change. With cyber threats evolving in complexity, Bryan emphasizes the urgency for organizations to enhance their cyber resilience through robust technology systems and response strategies. Concurrently, he underscores the necessity for businesses to ramp up their efforts in adapting to the increasingly volatile …
Step into 2024 fortified against unexpected crises with the invaluable insights shared in this podcast. Bryan, a seasoned expert in crisis management, unveils a blueprint for success in Episode 229 of Managing Uncertainty. Embrace proactive planning by scheduling resilience activities early in the year—steering committee meetings and continuity drills—to create a robust program calendar guiding your organization toward preparedness. Stay ahead by continuously refreshing crisis management policies and educating your team on these updates. An informed team acts as your frontline defense in times of crisis. Keep the momentum alive! Bryan advises regular meetings—quarterly or monthly—with your crisis management team …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, dives into the power of building strategic alliances within your organization. Bryan emphasizes the importance of nurturing cross-functional relationships and turning potential adversaries into allies. He challenges you to confront those who have been roadblocks in your journey and transform them into key partners. Bryan provides valuable insight on how to conduct crucial one-on-one conversations, ask hard-hitting questions, and understand your partners’ business challenges and goals. He further discusses how to leverage these relationships to expand your influence as a resilience professional and advance …
In this Christmas Day episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, Bryan Strawser discusses the often overlooked aspect of crisis management – mental health. Having held the reins of crisis management for a Fortune 30 company, Bryan provides firsthand insights into the heavy toll such roles can take. He stresses the importance of downtime, self-care, and seeking professional help if needed. Bryan recalls his time leading the business in crisis management, dealing with various crises ranging from natural disasters to cyber attacks. The emotional toll of such a role is immense, but Bryan emphasizes the importance of mental health, encouraging listeners …
In this episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, deep dives into the potential challenges organizations may face as the pendulum swings back towards in-office work in 2023. Bryan discusses eight key obstacles, including health risks, disrupted work-life balance, the financial strain of commuting, and the risk of employee burnout that could lead to a loss of workforce. He further explores how this shift could stifle productivity, necessitate reskilling, and potentially hamper your talent acquisition and retention strategy. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Bryan also offers valuable strategies to help organizations strike a …
In Episode #225 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, we delve into the seven key areas that have significantly transformed in business continuity due to hybrid and remote work adaptations. We discuss technology and infrastructure readiness and the increasing need for robust, secure technology solutions that support remote and distributed work models. We also touch upon the importance of having effective digital communication tools for seamless collaboration among distributed teams. The focus then shifts to employee well-being and productivity in remote settings, where we highlight work-life balance, mental health support, and the need for ergonomic home office spaces. We also discuss …
On this episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal & Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, illuminates the critical role the Board of Directors plays in crisis management. As the principal authority, the Board not only shapes crisis management but also establishes the tone at the top. Bryan delves into their strategic approach and policies that guide an organization in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from crises. They are pivotal in ensuring that comprehensive crisis management, business continuity, and crisis communication plans are not just in place but also regularly revisited and updated. Throughout our discussion, Bryan outlines seven …
In our latest podcast episode, Bryan Strawser, Principal at Bryghtpath, redefines resilience beyond a buzzword. He delves into the International Standards Organization’s definition, viewing resilience as a collection of capabilities crucial for organizations. Bryan highlights the vital components—business continuity, crisis management, disaster recovery, and information security—that form the bedrock of organizational resilience. He emphasizes the necessity for integrated strategies and cross-organizational coordination to fortify against disruptions. Listen now to glean actionable strategies from Bryan Strawser on building a resilient organizational framework. Learn how to proactively navigate uncertainties and fortify your business against future challenges.
Our Thanksgiving episode, although different, promises to cater to your expectations and even surpass them. From the desk of Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, comes a heartwarming message of gratitude for our listeners and subscribers who have significantly amplified our reach this year. Regardless of where you are celebrating Thanksgiving, we are extending our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support.
Join us as we sit down with Jeremy Baumann, Managing Partner at Corporate Security Advisors (CSA). With his extensive experience spanning from local law enforcement to corporate security, Jeremy regales us with insights into the challenging landscape of security and the unique role CSA plays to navigate it. He shares his wisdom on ‘the business of security’, a concept that aligns security programs with overarching business goals. We probe into a typical CSA engagement and understand why an external assessment of your security controls is paramount. In the latter half of our enlightening conversation, Jeremy illuminates the significance of solid …
Is your organization capitalizing on the value of a Global Security Operations Center (GSOC)? My guest, Jeremy Baumann, Managing Partner of Corporate Security Advisors, unpacks the substantial benefits a GSOC can bring to your business. We delve into the intriguing business case for GSOCs, from investment justifications to potential impacts on the bottom line. Our discussion doesn’t stop there; we also explore the art of presenting this case persuasively to your leadership team. Security is not a luxury; it’s an indispensable necessity in today’s fast-paced world. Creating a safe working environment for both employees and customers is instrumental in any …
Prepare to navigate the tumultuous landscape of business threats in 2023, expertly guided by Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser. In this riveting episode, you’ll uncover the myriad of potential hazards waiting to disrupt your operations, alongside effective strategies to mitigate them. From the menacing realm of cyber threats to dynamic shifts in regulatory frameworks, Bryan equips you with the tools you need to confidently face the future. In a world where the unexpected has become the norm, Bryan highlights the importance of robust crisis management and business continuity planning. He takes us through a comprehensive exploration of top threats …
Ready to turbocharge your influence in the boardroom and among top-tier executives? This episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast is your ticket to achieving exactly that. We revisit the importance of speaking the language of business, quantifying your impact, creating alliances and a host of other practical strategies that align your skills with your organization’s key objectives. We delve deep into the value of adopting a consultative approach, mastering scenario planning, and earning trust through transparency. This episode is a goldmine for anyone looking to assert their expertise and contribute more meaningfully to their organization’s strategic decisions. So, grab your …
Imagine gaining the tools to bridge the communication chasm between Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and the broader business sphere, thus boosting your company’s resilience and fostering a smoother workflow. That’s exactly what we’re offering you in this intriguing episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast. Joined by Bryghtpath’s Principal and Chief Executive, Bryan Strawser, we grapple with the perplexities surrounding this issue and unveil the six major roadblocks that are messing up this dynamic. As we dissect the issue, you’ll learn about the difference in technical complexity, the language barrier of jargon, misaligned objectives, inadequate business acumen, the tug of …
Prepare to engage with the ever-changing landscape of crisis management in a digitized global society. Absorb the essentials of navigating the multifaceted crises that have evolved from the convergence of technological, socio-political, and environmental forces. In Episode #216, we delve deep into this complex scenario, touching on how the fusion of cybersecurity threats with traditional risks like natural disasters, has altered the crisis management game. We also dissect the new challenges arising from the swift spread of information via social media and video platforms, highlighting the need for an agile response strategy. We explore the concept of ‘digital crisis management’ …
Unlock a deeper understanding of the complex and ever-changing world of cyber threats as we explore the significant implications this has on business continuity and resilience. Get ready to delve into the fascinating and unnerving phenomenon of cyber threats such as ransomware attacks, cyber extortion, and the rising threat of AI-driven attacks, with a focus on a recent successful spear phishing attack on the company, Retool. This episode emphasizes the importance of grasping the evolving technicalities of cybersecurity measures and the need to integrate cyber risk into a broader business continuity strategy. We’ll discuss the essential collaboration between information security …
Discover how to effectively communicate with your executive leadership and board of directors. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and establish credibility in your interactions with top-level leadership. In the first part of the podcast, we tackle the use of jargon and the importance of aligning your program with the business. We also share strategies on how you can understand and align with your leaders’ priorities. In the second part, we dive into the details of preparation for these crucial conversations. We explain the impact of relationship and trust at the executive level and how it can influence your ability …
Prepare to unlock the true potential of your crisis management team as we delve into the often underestimated importance of regular utilization in episode 212 of the Managing Uncertainty podcast. In our discussion, we expose the common misconception that crisis management teams are only necessary during an actual crisis. We’ll shed light on the importance …
If you’re a recent graduate, a senior student, or a career shifter looking for a rewarding career, we have the perfect guide for you. The newest digital course from Bryghtpath, “Preparing for Careers in Resilience”, hosted by industry expert Bryan Strawser, is here to provide you with invaluable insights into these booming fields. This course …
When I kick-started my career in retail loss prevention, a seemingly trivial incident significantly reshaped my approach toward my role. A woman at my store constantly made fraudulent refunds, and being a former law enforcement officer, my instincts kicked in, and I was eager to put her behind bars. My boss, on the other hand, …
In Episode #209, you’ll walk away with a renewed perspective on the essential role resilience professionals play in business continuity, crisis management, and crisis communications. Bryghtpath Principal & CEO Bryan Strawser passionately sheds light on the importance of asserting value and significance within an organization, a sentiment often overlooked in this field. Listen to a …
Unlock the secrets of navigating high-pressure situations and master the art of crisis management with our latest episode. You’re on a journey to discover predictable patterns that emerge during a crisis, providing you with the tools to stay one step ahead when the going gets tough. We’ll unpack the stages of a crisis, from the …
Unlock the secrets to building a solid, efficient crisis management team, and learn to navigate the tumultuous landscape of a crisis with confidence. Your journey begins with Bryan Strawser, Principal & Chief Executive, as he unravels the intricate dynamics of crisis management. Bryan explains that the role of a crisis management team surpasses mere preparation …
Ready to conquer the modern crisis of misinformation that can wreak havoc on your organization’s reputation and stability? Let’s embark on this journey with your host, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, where you’ll learn how to strategize and respond to ensure your organization remains unscathed effectively. Not just a professional expert, Bryan has …
Promising to steer your business through times of uncertainty, we delve into a topic that’s pivotal to any organization’s resilience – the integration of Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). Get ready to distinguish between BCM and ERM, and discover how they work together to provide a comprehensive view of your organization’s …
Prepare to uncover the game-changing element that can take your organization’s resilience strategy to the next level – a Global Security Operations Center (GSOC). Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explains the six core value propositions a GSOC offers, providing insights that could revolutionize your approach to security and risk management. We’ll discuss how …
Are you a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) struggling to land a board seat? Join Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser for an insightful discussion based on a recent Wall Street Journal article, Cyber Chiefs Seeking Board Seats Have Their Work Cut Out For Them, highlighting the challenges CISOs face when trying to secure board …
Discover the incredible potential of artificial intelligence in transforming our world as we discuss Mark Andreessen’s thought-provoking article, “Why AI Will Save the World” From augmenting human intelligence to the birth of a golden age for the creative arts, AI’s impact on productivity, innovation, and empathy is nothing short of groundbreaking. Join Bryghtpath Principal & …
Discover how to enhance your crisis management skills by exploring the 15 critical success factors outlined in a 2006 journal article titled “Agility and Discipline: Critical Success Factors for Disaster Response.” Although the article focuses on public sector emergency management, we’re going to be discussing how these valuable insights can be applied to the private …
Can you believe we’ve reached our 200th episode? To celebrate, we’re taking you on a journey through the unique stories of each Bryghtpath team member – from the paths that led them to the company to their childhood dreams. You won’t want to miss these fun and insightful tales that reveal the people behind Bryghtpath’s …
Join Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser in Episode #199 of the Managing Uncertainty podcast as he explores the impact of digital transformation on business continuity. Discover the shift towards remote and hybrid work, changes in consumer behavior, and the reliance on digital platforms and data-driven strategies. Uncover new risks like cybersecurity and privacy …
What does it take to navigate the constantly changing business landscape? This week, we explore McKinsey’s new report, Getting a Read on the State of Organizations, and uncover valuable insights into the challenges businesses face in adapting to these shifts. We discuss the balance between speed and resilience, the rise of the hybrid workplace, building …
On this special Memorial Day episode, we honor the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in the armed forces by sharing some of the most inspiring and heroic stories of American service members who have been posthumously awarded for their incredible acts of bravery and selflessness. You won’t want to miss these powerful …
In Episode #196, we discuss the alarming growth of ransomware and its impact on businesses and governments. Listen in as we share insights from the SleuthCon Cyber Crime Conference, where experts from Chainalysis revealed that cybercriminal gangs are on pace to surpass their record-setting earnings from 2021. We also touch on the White House’s potential …
In this episode of the podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser takes a trip memory lane, revisiting predictions made in April 2020 about the “new normal” that would emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. From new team structures, leadership norms, and technology investments to work-life balance, productivity, and customer transparency, it’s fascinating to see how …
In this episode of the podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses an article by Pankaj Ghemawat on global expansion and emphasizes the importance of understanding the four dimensions that create distance between countries: culture, administration, geography, and economics. Bryans shares experiences from his own career as he demonstrates the importance of how understanding …
In Episode 193 of the podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the critical topic of mental health for crisis management professionals and tips to help manage your well-being. As crisis management professionals, we are the first responders of the corporate world. Stress, anxiety, and burnout are all occupational hazards of this high-stakes profession. …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the recent workplace shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, and the questions that have arisen around workplace violence prevention and threat management. Bryan shares a few key components that mature organizations should implement, including a strong workplace violence prevention program with …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about artificial intelligence and business continuity. As a part of the episode, Bryan asks the OpenAI Foundation’s ChatGPT a few questions about business continuity and resilience and reads back its answers. Bryan also shares how Bryghtpath has been experimenting …
Toddlers are always getting themselves into uncertain situations that may cause them to fall, but they are malleable enough to come out mostly unscathed. Your organization should be the same way. In this episode, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler discuss how resilience allows you to embrace uncertainty. Additional Resources …
Have you brought your crisis management team together since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank? You may think that the collapse doesn’t affect you, but take a moment to consider who and what you depend on. You may find that your answer changes or you might feel uncertain about the situation. In this episode, Principal …
As a leader, have you ever wondered what the best way to gain credibility and maintain it is? In this episode of the podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discuses just that by going into more detail about how you, as a leader, can be candid and empathetically direct.
As Bryghtpath has grown, we’ve invested time documenting certain aspects of our culture. Last year, we did an episode focused on our Core Values and their use in our hiring and performance review process. One of the areas we’ve focused on has been documenting how we work. We believe we’ve created something unique at Bryghtpath – …
Recently when reading a recap from McKinsey, the phrase “your clock speed has to increase to match the environment” lept out from the page. In Episode #186 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how this approach should be applied to your organization’s resilience program – ensuring strategic alignment on …
Whether you think of it as remote work, distributed work, hybrid work, or some other term, how we manage and lead teams is changing. In Episode #185 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser shares his thoughts on leading remote teams and “managing to outcomes” instead of “butts in seats.” …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser shares an example from the hit TV show Mad Men and how Don Draper has something to teach us all about resilience storytelling. Watch the scene from Mad Men
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses why resilience should be at the top of your board’s agenda and how resilience professionals can best prepare their board for what’s next.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the need for strategic alignment between your organization’s senior executives, your strategic objectives, and your resilience program.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses whether business continuity is a component of crisis management or vice versa. More importantly, does it matter? Links from the episode: What is Resilience?
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about setting up the new year for success with your resilience program. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser shares the topics that your Board of Directors and Board Committees have been talking about concerning resilience – most likely without you. Additional Resources Check out our Free Courses on Business Continuity, Crisis Management, and Crisis Communications. Need to develop your …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser dives into General Mills’ Q2 2023 earnings report to showcase why it’s essential to align your resilience strategies for business continuity, crisis management, and crisis communications with your organization’s business objectives. Topics discussed include knowing how to read an earnings statement, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss strategy & innovation in resiliency and the need to be able to walk away from the sacred cows of how things have been done in the past. Topics discussed include strategy challenges, innovation, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses what year two of your crisis management program should entail. Topics discussed include misconceptions about year two, investing in your program and how to do it, and building a culture of resilience. Related Episodes and Articles Article: How to Successfully …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses Bryghtpaths’ brand new Communicating in the Critical Moment Course. Topics discussed include what the new course entails and how the material is laid out.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Bray Wheeler, Senior Consultant, discuss how to reset your business continuity program for the challenges of 2023. Topics discussed include our take on the challenges of 2023, expense reductions, the economy, the positioning of your program, alignment against your organization’s strategic objectives, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Bray Wheeler, Senior Consultant, discuss the topic of crisis fatigue, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crisis management & business continuity teams, and how one can overcome crisis fatigue. Topics discussed include crisis fatigue, what the “new normal” …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler discuss the brand new Bryghtpath Exercise Maturity Model. Topics discussed include evaluating your exercise strategy, maturity models, and how the Bryghtpath team thinks about exercise strategies as a series of building blocks that grow over …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Bray Wheeler, Senior Consultant, roleplay a scenario in which they emphasize the importance of getting back to the route of a problem. Topics discussed include problem-solving, organizational strategy, and motivation behind solving a problem.
In Episode #170 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss Bryghtpath’s Long-Term Recovery Framework. When a crisis has shifted beyond the initial response phase and you’re settling in for the long-term recovery effort, our Long-Term Recovery Framework helps lay out the areas where …
In Episode #169 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss lessons learned from eight years of working with clients. Topics discussed included leveraging your consulting partner to accomplish your strategic objectives, crisis communications & reputation management, relationships within your organization, underutilizing expertise, crisis …
In Episode #169 of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss lessons learned from eight years of working with clients. Topics discussed included leveraging your consulting partner to accomplish your strategic objectives, crisis communications & reputation management, relationships within your organization, underutilizing expertise, crisis …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss mistakes companies make with their crisis management programs. Topics discussed include crisis leadership failures, crisis management teams, under-responding in a crisis, crisis processes, and taking care of your team.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss mistakes companies make with their crisis management programs. Topics discussed include crisis leadership failures, crisis management teams, under-responding in a crisis, crisis processes, and taking care of your team.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler discuss building a new business continuity or crisis management plan and who that plan may affect before you start building. Topics discussed include understanding key players and questions to ask before creating a process. Related …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Senior Consultant Bray Wheeler discuss building a new business continuity or crisis management plan and who that plan may affect before you start building. Topics discussed include understanding key players and questions to ask before creating a process. Related …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Bray Wheeler, Senior Consultant, discuss Bryghtpath’s definition of a crisis. Topics discussed include crisis definitions, crisis versus incidents, critical disruptions, and organizational communication. Related Articles and Episodes Article: Beyond ROI: The Value of Effective Crisis Management Article: How to set up …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses what it takes to write, record, edit, and produce one of the leading crisis management and business continuity podcasts in the world. Topics discussed include how to podcast got started, the equipment used for the podcast, and what makes …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how crucial it is to have a strong crisis leader in times of disruption and uncertainty. Topics discussed include what makes a strong crisis leader and how they lead their organization by being situationally aware. Relate Articles & Episodes …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the importance of after-action reports and how they can help us to learn from past experiences so we can make original mistakes in the future. Topics Discussed include making original mistakes, the Uvalde Texas school shooting, and learning from …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how to use National Preparedness Month to create leverage and awareness for your business continuity and crisis management programs. Topics discussed include what National Preparedness Month is, the themes for national preparedness month, and how those themes relate to …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the need for crisis management and business continuity professionals to be candid, particularly with their organization’s senior executives and board. Topics discussed include candor, internal corporate politics, interacting with senior executives, and communicating with partners. Related Episodes and Articles …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the experiences and inspiration that led to Bryghtpath’s founding in 2014. Topics discussed include Bryghtpath’s core values, learning how to sell, distilling expertise into products, and life outside corporate America. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Article: Our Core Values …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses our new Ultimate Guide to Crisis Management, where we explain everything you need to know about Crisis Management. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Article: The Ultimate Guide to Crisis Management Article: The Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses trust in Business Continuity and Crisis Management programs and the importance of ensuring your program is aligned with the strategic objectives of your organization and maintaining credible relationships with your program’s stakeholders and executives. Related Episodes & Blog Posts …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses our new product, Exercise in a Box. Created by our battle-tested experts at Bryghtpath, Exercise in a Box is a set of crisis and continuity exercises that can be executed by a business leader in under an hour and …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about recent failures in crisis leadership & incident command. Related Articles & Episodes: Navy Times: Vice Admiral and two dozen others punished for USS Bonhomme Richard fire Texas Tribune: “Systemic failures” in Uvalde shooting went far beyond local police, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about Bryghtpath’s new 5-Day Business Continuity Accelerator online interactive course.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about how to find success in an engagement with a business continuity consultant. Topics discussed include ideal client and consultant fit, understanding organizational culture, the need to allow your chosen experts to have direct interaction with executives, and more. …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses our product, Crisis Playbook, where we offer pre-written crisis management & crisis communications plans for many situations, including active assailant/active shooter, fatality, natural disasters, and other emergency situations. We describe Crisis Playbook as: Developing custom crisis management, crisis communications, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about our recently published Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity. Topics discussed include what is business continuity, why business continuity is important, how business continuity fits into an overall resilience strategy, and where to go to learn more about Business …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about the idea that you get one chance to do it right when launching a new program or kicking off a new initiative within your existing program. Related Episodes & Articles Episode #149: Things I wish I knew 10 …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser reflects on 6 years of podcasting on Managing Uncertainty. Topics discussed include what we’ve learned about podcasting and the impact that Managing Uncertainty has made. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Episode #149: Things I wish I knew 10 years ago …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about things he wishes he knew 10 years ago as a Crisis & Continuity Professional. Topics discussed include marketing your business continuity program, the connections between your program and your organization’s overall business objectives & strategies, leading and influencing …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses three books he’s read that have impacted our business. The three books: You’re It: Crisis, Change,and How to Lead When It Matters Most, by Leonard J. Marcus, Eric J. McNulty, Joseph M. Henderson, & Barry C. Dorn. The Business …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses organizational core values, what they mean for an organization, and how Bryghtpath approached developing our core values. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Bryghtpath’s Core Values Episode #116: Tools We Use At Bryghtpath (2021 Edition) Episode #143: A Typical Week …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about how to choose the right business continuity certification. Topics discussed include the need for business continuity professional certification, offerings from the Business Continuity Institute (BCI), offerings from the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI or DRII), and how to …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the lessons learned after two years of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Topics discussed include COVID-19, the “Great Resignation”, how we’ll fight pandemics in the future, the miracle of the COVID-19 vaccines, impacts on the economy, the rise of remote/hybrid …
How do you stand up a successful business continuity program from scratch? In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser walks through the process we use at Bryghtpath using the example of an organization without a current business continuity program. Topics discussed include business continuity policies, program charters, …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses a typical week at Bryghtpath. Bryan provides a detailed look into his day-to-day and how he leads our team at Bryghtpath by delivering value to our clients every single day. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: How to …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser reflects on 5 moments that shaped his career and influenced his path as a business continuity and crisis management professional. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: Inside Bryghtpath: Who quits a large corporation for a company in Minnesota with …
In the event of a significant disruption to your organization, how will your company respond? No one enjoys thinking about crisis management, business continuity, disaster recovery, or reputation management. But this much is certain: your business will face unexpected disruptions. Understanding how your program and capabilities stack up is the first step to being able to mature your program …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the workplace of the future and how it impacts Business Continuity. Bryan explores how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated many of the trends we are seeing in the changing work environment today. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses trends in business continuity and crisis management for 2022. Bryan discusses what we’re learning from our work with clients, discussions across the industry, and from our own research. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: Engaging Your Remote Workforce …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the top 5 most popular episodes of 2021. Bryan revisits some of the highlights and adds some new perspectives and reflections along the way. Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: What the COVID-19 pandemic will mean for the …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses supply chain resiliency. What lessons do we need to mind in order to avert the next supply chain crisis? Related Episodes & Blog Posts Blog Post: Your Supply Chain May Not Be As Resilient as You Think Blog Posts: …
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how coaching can help you as a business continuity and crisis management leader.
Topics discussed include how coaching can help clear your business continuity and crisis management program roadblocks, how a coaching program works, and some factors you should consider in choosing a coach.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: 5 Ways Coaching Can Help Your Business Continuity and Crisis Management Program * Blog Post: Business Continuity Standards: How each can help you * Episode #111: The Value of a Trusted Advisor * Episode #113: Roles and Responsibilities in a BC Program * Episode #132: 7 Business Continuity Exercise Scenarios
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal & Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I’d like to talk about how coaching can help you as a business continuity and crisis management leader. I’m often talking with folks who are suffering from this challenge that they’re working harder than ever, but not making forward progress on their continuity and crisis management objectives. They’ve read all the books and they’ve listened to all the podcasts, but they’re so at a loss on where to even begin, or maybe fear and doubt and uncertainty are keeping them from taking the right actions. Whether you’re looking to level up or just get back on track, I have found that one-on-one coaching can be the just-in-time tailored solution that our clients need to get unstuck, gain clarity and take their next best step.
So here are five ways that coaching can help clear your business continuity and crisis management program roadblocks and what you can expect. The first is I want to talk about the benefits of coaching. The first is having an outsider’s perspective. I always use the example that many of us are familiar with, ambiguous images. There’s the picture of one where there’s a duck, that when you turn it on the end, it looks like a rabbit, and you may first see it’s a duck, or you might first see it’s a rabbit. But after being told about the other answer, you can see both of those things clearly.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the top 4 Business Disruptions that you should be preparing for in 2022.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: 4 Top Business Disruptions to Plan for in 2022 * Blog Post: Business Continuity Awareness – Why It’s Important * Episode #110: Is your BC Program ready for the next disruption? * Episode #124: Business Continuity Standards – Which is right for you? * Episode #: 125 – What is resilience?
Episode Transcript Hello and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Brian Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And we’re well into 2022 at this point, and I want to talk about four top business disruptions that you should be planning for as 2022 evolves.
As we saw in the last half of 2021, there’s been a resurgence in economic activity around the world due to monetary and fiscal stimulus, increased consumer spending, increased confidence, but supply chain challenges, rising price pressure, and lingering concerns about COVID have increased inflation. Many pundits predict that 2022 might present several disruptions that could interfere with your ability to conduct business. So here are four disruptions to plan for in 2022.
The first is the unrelenting threat of COVID-19. Experts predict that the pandemic will persist for longer than we expect it. Even though there’s improved awareness and vaccines that are now available, the threat is still high due to low vaccination rates globally. With the emergence of new strains of the virus, the latest being Omicron, and higher caseloads even in industrialized countries, there’s no sign the situation will improve in 2022. Reports indicate that new strains may be more transmissible and more resistant to treatment. With highly dysfunctional health challenges as observed at the height of COVID-19, there’s a lot of uncertainty about how the situation will unfold this year.
There’s also uncertainty concerning the vaccine’s effectiveness in dealing with new, emerging variants. Even though we may not witness new lockdowns or stay-at-home orders, the disruptions caused by the pandemic will persist due to restricted movement and delayed return to work by employees. But this interference may not as be as severe as we previously witnessed. That’s because many foreign trade partners have also recorded a significant number of vaccinations and may not need to resort to lockdowns or travel restrictions. It’s advisable, as you plan, to imagine the worst-case scenarios. It’s better to be overprepared in the case of COVID than to be caught flat-footed when interferences with your business continuity plans and scenarios soar.
The second challenge facing us this year, supply chain disruptions. There’s a lot of
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how to craft a crisis management framework for your organization.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: How to Create and Conduct a Rewarding Crisis Management Exercise * Blog Post: Suiting Up for a Crisis Part I: The Crisis Leader * Episode #44: Successful Crisis Characteristics * Episode #102: The Bryghtpath Business Continuity Framework * Episode #133: How to Create and Conduct a Rewarding Crisis Management Exercise
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to The Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I’d like to talk about how to craft your crisis management framework. Now, you’ve probably heard from us and everyone else that every organization should develop and continually revise a crisis management plan which should then be exercised regularly. Why? Well, because listing procedures and blindly walking through them are only going to get you so far. To benefit you really need to get into your organization’s DNA and your approach to managing a crisis. So I want to explain why I think you need to bother about this and to do so, we need to talk about your crisis management framework. The goal of this, as you build your crisis management tools is that you need an underlying philosophy, a framework that will make all of your crisis management parts work together. A consistent framework across your company describes how you will make communicate and execute decisions when it matters in a crisis.
Think about your governing approach now, because a crisis is no time for confusion or making things up on the spot. Crisis management aims to plan for an effective, coordinated response with the resources available and the resources that you have and internal and external communication requirements before and after the crisis. Everybody, teams, and the top leadership of your company need to know what to do, or they will make mistakes that make matters worse in the moment. An established crisis management framework ensures that your executives can expect a consistent process and consistent communication no matter the crisis, should that crisis morph and pull in others and additional teams, then everyone still approaches crisis management from the same starting point with the same goals and the same shared expectations. Let’s start with the basics. To start building your framework, you need to your organization’s mission and vision statements. Everybody in your company and your organization needs these values as the foundation for all of your crisis management activity.
The first is when is it a crisis? A primary consideration is what constitutes a crisis and who declares it. Crises often start as a minor problem in one functional area. Often functional groups can contain and solve those issues before they can expand. If not, a crisis team might step in and they may solve the problem. Usually, your executives are not involved in these localized events, but this depends a lot on just how your company’s structured. If units can’t contain an issue, then they escalate, but you need to decide beforehand what th
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how to create and conduct a rewarding crisis management exercise, providing tips to help you build a rich and rewarding exercise remotely or in person.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: 5 Ways Coaching Can Help Your Business Continuity and Crisis Management Program * Blog Post: How to Create and Conduct a Rewarding Crisis Management Exercise * Episode #88: What is the goal of crisis management? * Episode #117: What Successful Crisis Management Looks Like Internally * Episode #132: 7 Business Continuity Exercise Scenarios
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. I’m Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I’d like to talk about how to create and conduct a rewarding crisis management exercise. So you’ve settled on a crisis management framework to understand your goals in creating a crisis management plan. You’ve written your plan, and now I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to exercise that plan. Here, in this episode, I want to talk through tips to help you think about how to build a rich and rewarding exercise, even if your team is working remotely.
So let’s start with why you should exercise crisis management plans. Having a crisis management plan on a shelf or on your company share drive is only going to get you so far. You conduct fire drills so employees know how to muster themselves and exit. In a similar way, your crisis management team need to work through their checklist to understand how an emergency plays out and make their crisis management plan part of their muscle memory. It’s a normal human response to freeze, even briefly, when a problem occurs.
People will deny that a problem exists. They might fear the consequences and avoid addressing the situation altogether. They might also feel overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness, and that makes them withdraw. Everyone experiences these emotions differently and on a different scale of intensity, but regular drills and exercises with your emergency procedures, give people a structure on how to channel their thoughts and energies into proactively moving through the crisis. Your goal in running an exercise is to build people’s confidence in using a new plan, or for new team members, you want to familiarize them with your firm’s version of crisis management. For teams that are more experienced than you want to challenge them on how to react correctly while you stress them with noise and the inputs from the exercise.
So here are some ways to make your exercises engaging and educational. The first is to align your exercises to your company’s goals. Think about your company’s mission and mission-critical processes, and then build exercises that practice how to bolster those essential functions and outputs. A scenario about key card locks not unlocking is not that interesting, but playing a survival scenario that involves a Cylon invasion is just too farfetched. I threw that in there for you Battlestar Galactica fans.
The second is to set well-considered goals. You should pi
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses 7 Business Continuity Exercise Scenarios that you can use to prepare your organization for disruption.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: How to Evaluate Plan Effectiveness After Active Shooter Exercises * Blog Post: Crisis Exercises: Why are they important? * Episode #85: Rethinking Active Shooter Preparedness & Exercises * Episode #130: Suiting up for the Crisis – The Crisis Leader * Episode #131: Suiting Up for a Crisis – Part 2
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I’d like to talk about seven business continuity exercise scenarios that you can use, that you can prepare for in your organization. According to research, we know that about 25% of businesses fail to recover after a disaster. If they lack a business continuity plan, a recovery plan, it becomes hard to cope with the repercussions of a disruption. That’s why your business needs a business continuity plan. Now, to top up your security, your business security, and thinking about exercises, testing your business continuity plan is crucial. It’s good to understand that every business has a distinct business continuity plan and approach, depending upon your industry and your size and regulatory issues, and other factors.
That’s why you need to make sure you carry out a risk assessment and a business impact analysis, to be aware of these factors as a part of your planning process. But here we’re going to talk about some common business continuity exercise scenarios, the types of exercises, and the importance of making sure that you’re exercising or testing your continuity plan.
First, from our standpoint, there are three common types of exercises that you may use with your business continuity plan. The first is just a plan review, probably the most straightforward type of exercise. Your team goes through all the points on the business continuity plan. We use it to ensure the plan covers all the company’s objectives. And we do this without doing any real practical exercise work. It’s a walkthrough of review. The second is a tabletop. It’s probably the most common type of exercise. It’s definitely a strengthened version of the plan review. In this exercise, employees use the plan in a facilitated kind of conference setting, virtual or physical. And as inputs are received from the facilitator, your employees then respond to those exercise inputs as if they would, in an actual incident. The third is a simulation, by far the most realistic of these three exercises where employees actually do the thing.
They use the plan and execute the elements of the plan. It’s the most practical and detailed, and probably the closest to reality that you can get in an exercise. Now, exercising your business continuity plan is critical. It creates a picture of risk scenarios. It makes it easy for teams to understand how to use the plan. It builds confidence. Your team gets practical preparation. They build muscle memory, it helps you identify loopholes in your continuity plan. It ensures you cover al
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses Part 2 of ‘Suiting Up for the Crisis’, focusing on being a part of the Crisis Management Team. This series is dedicated to helping crisis team leaders and crisis management team members prepare for their next crisis.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Suiting Up for a Crisis Part I: The Crisis Leader * Blog Post: Suiting Up for a Crisis Part II: The Crisis Management Team * Episode #55: Crisis Leadership Roundtable * Episode #105: Taking care of yourself during a crisis * Episode #117: What Successful Crisis Management Looks Like Internally * Episode #130: Suiting up for the Crisis – The Crisis Leader
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath, and in this week’s episode, I want to take us to part two of our series, Suiting Up For A Crisis. This series is dedicated to helping crisis team leaders and team members prepare for their next crisis. Part one was about being the crisis leader, and in part two, I want to talk about being a part of your organization’s crisis management team, or CMT.
As a newly minted member of your crisis management team, it’s normal to have a lot of questions and probably some anxiety about what does it mean to be a part of this team? What are the expectations of me as a crisis management team member? How does my role as a member of the crisis management team impact my normal job responsibilities? What, if anything, can I do to prepare?
Like me and many others who walked this path before you, you’re quickly going to learn that there’s no substitute for experience, but you can still take some simple steps to help you suit up, so to speak, to respond to your next crisis. So here’s what we think you need to know.
First, what can you expect as a crisis management team member? Well, as a member of the CMT, you probably understand that it’s your job to run into the metaphorical burning building and help put out the fire. But there are many hours of training and conditioning that come beforehand, and the painstaking hours of mop-up and investigation and debriefing that are necessary to make sure that a fire is really out and that it doesn’t happen again. Your role on the crisis management team extends far before the crisis and well after its resolution. Here’s what you can expect at each stage.
Prior to a disruption, I would expect a crisis management team member to participate in discussions and activities calculated at improving the organization’s overall preparedness because this is your only chance to be able to do that.
My friend Juliette Kayyem at Harvard University describes this as being left of boom. You’re on the left side of the incident of the crisis, and so you have this opportunity to invest in preparedness. This might include things like participating in building developing plans for potential disruptions, integrating an
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses ‘Suiting up for the Crisis’ as a Crisis Leader.
Topics discussed include what it takes to be a good crisis leader, the importance of thinking about crisis management as a team sport, and crisis management frameworks. In addition, Bryan discusses where to find additional training and resources to strengthen your crisis leadership muscles.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Suiting Up for a Crisis Part I: The Crisis Leader * Blog Post: Before the Crisis: The Value of a Trusted Business Continuity & Crisis Management Advisor * Episode #55: Crisis Leadership Roundtable * Episode #75: Big Mistakes during a Crisis * Episode #88: What is the goal of crisis management? * Episode #96: Crisis Leadership in the time of Coronavirus * Episode #104: Supporting the team in a prolonged crisis
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to The Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal & Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And this week I’d like to talk about Suiting up for a Crisis. I specifically want to talk about crisis leadership and how to think about being a crisis leader. If you think about it, it takes about 60 hours of training to become a certified first responder. It’s about 600 hours of training to become a firefighter. I’m a volunteer emergency medical technician and have been for several years. And that was hundreds of hours of my time between coursework and practical experience and hands-on experience on an ambulance and in an emergency room and continual education year over year to maintain my EMT certification. But to become a crisis management leader in your company, the requirement is no training, a whopping zero. But yet as your organization’s crisis leader, although it might not be your everyday job to save lives, a lot is still at stake, halted operations, downed facilities, lost revenue, damaged reputation, and many times the safety and wellbeing of your employees, your customers, your visitors, and others.
Firefighters and EMTs have hundreds of hours of training, building endurance, learning how to suit up for their job, and then wielding the right tools so that they can confidently run into their next burning building or help an individual in need of critical medical care. As your company’s crisis leader, are you prepared to do the same? Here’s what you need to know. Let̵
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses corporate citizenship in the midst of economic, social, and political upheaval. With the renewed focus on corporate citizenship over the past two years, as companies have engaged their customers, employees, and communities in the midst of economic, social, and political upheaval, how have our thoughts on corporate citizenship evolved and changed?
How can your company benefit from contributing to the broader good?
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Corporate Citizenship in the Age of Unrest * Blog Post: Prevent and Recover from Marketing Missteps * Blog Post: 11 Crisis Communications Tips that every organization should master * Blog Post: Your reputation command center: Social Media Monitoring * Blog Post: What is Reputation Management? * Episode #117: What Successful Crisis Management Looks Like Internally * Episode #127: Engaging your Board on your Crisis Communication Strategy
Episode Transcript Hello and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I want to talk about corporate citizenship in this age of unrest that we’re all living in today. The past two years have brought renewed focus to corporate citizenship, as companies have looked to engage their customers, their employees, and their communities in the midst of economic, social, and political upheaval.
Pursuing these efforts can drive large-scale meaningful change for society while differentiating a company’s brands and products to deliver a competitive advantage. But what is corporate citizenship and how can your company benefit from contributing to the broader good? Well, let’s start by looking at the evolution of this idea of corporate citizenship.
According to the Boston College Center for Corporate Leadership, they define corporate citizenship is how a company exercises its rights, obligations, privileges, and overall corporate responsibility within our local and global environments. Now, this practice goes by many names, corporate social responsibility or CSR, environmental, social, and governance, ESG, corporate responsibility, conscious capitalism, or compassionate capitalism.
But this is all about how a company creates a positive social and environmental impact while practicing good corporate governance while meeting its financial goals. A broad range of business areas could be involved in this practice of corporate citizenship, such as community giving, di
Managing Uncertainty Managing Uncertainty Podcast – Episode #128: A conversation with Steve Raffe of StarLeaf
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In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the best way to engage your board of directors in your crisis communication strategy.
Topics discussed include board of directors and C-suite engagement, crisis management, crisis communications, reputation and issues management strategies, and crisis exercises.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Engaging your Board of Directors on your Crisis Communications Strategy * Blog Post: The Importance of Having a Crisis Communications Strategy * Episode #117: What Successful Crisis Management Looks Like Internally * Episode #: 125 – What is resilience?
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I’d like to talk about your crisis communication strategy and what is the best way to engage your board of directors, as you think about how to build your crisis comms strategy.
The way I think about it is every organization faces risk. Whether you are a small or large entity, publicly traded, privately held, for-profit, non-profit, global, or local, at some point, you’re going to face a crisis. How you plan for, handle or manage, recover from and assess a crisis can significantly impact your organization, including your short-term business operations, your reputation, your long-term financial performance, and even the regulatory environment in which you operate.
So how do you minimize that risk, maximize your organization’s resilience and emerge stronger than before? The good news is, is that you have astute leaders that are charged with making sure your organization can thrive well into the future. And that group of leaders is your board of directors. Now your model and your structure might vary depending upon global geography, but boards largely share a common purpose. It is about the strategic oversight of your organization’s viability, your operational resilience, your reputation, and your financial wellbeing. This means your board is a key player in crisis management and communications. In fact, many boards have a risk committee to monitor, assess and advise on risks. Your risk committee and your board know that crisis management and crisis communications like good corporate governance is a focused, ongoing practice and not a reactive event. This doesn’t mean that why they write messaging, run tabletops or create playbooks. That’s not what they’re there for. The executive team and staff and management are responsible for crisis preparation, response, and recovery. Boards also can’t take a hands-off approach and simply be kept informed by the CEO.
So what’s the right role? Your board and its committees should provide critical oversight to your risk management efforts, such as regularly reviewing challenging, advising on, or even securing additional resources for crisis management and crisis communication efforts. Note that there’s an exception here to that oversight rule. And that’s where the board will assume greater responsibility and become the public face of the company. And that’s when there’s executive mismanagement or CEO malfeasance that happens. While your communication staff and lea
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how resilient communities need public-private partnerships to survive.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Public/Private Partnerships – An overview * Blog Post: Resilient Communities Need Public/Private Partnerships to Survive * Episode #79: The Bryghtpath Global Security Framework * Episode #99: Hurricane Season 2020
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast, this is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And this week in our episode, I’d like to talk about public-private partnerships, that in my belief that resilient communities need public-private partnerships in order to survive. I’m taken back to October 29th, 2012, when Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey. It was a strong, slow-moving category one hurricane at the time, I was the head of Global Crisis Management and Business Continuity for one of the world’s largest retailers. In Sandy’s path, that day were more than 200 of my stores, multiple distribution centers, and two data centers that powered our eCommerce website. More importantly to me, tens of thousands of our employees were in harm’s way as the storm rushed to shore. But I knew even though I worked for a private sector organization, that I was not in this fight alone. Over the previous decade, I think we’ve come to realize that for a community to truly be resilient against a natural disaster or another emergency or crisis, that public and private sector entities must work together and share information in a collaborative and transparent manner.
For the three years leading up to Hurricane Sandy, local State and Federal Emergency Management agencies had begun to embrace outreach and joint planning with the private sector. The private sector, particularly retail and utilities, had embraced this new approach with open arms. That resulted in a strong set of partnerships between the public and private sector that was apparent throughout the preparation, response, and recovery for Hurricane Sandy. For example, for several days prior to landfall, public and private sector entities were exchanging information through predefined channels. Emergency management agencies were sharing situational updates, storm path updates, and plans for road closure and evacuations long before landfall. Private sector companies were sharing their plans for facility closure, employee evacuations, positioning of recovery supplies, and post-landfall response plans. This collaborative and transparent approach provided broader situational clarity for the public and private sectors, and it helped avoid confusion later during the more chaotic response phase of the situation. As Hurricane Sandy began to dissipate and its impact in New Jersey and New York and other states became clearer, public and private center entities remain in close contact.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA had activated their new national business emergency operations center as a component within FEMA’s National Response and Coordination Center or NRCC. The NRCC consolidated a number of federal and state agency reports into one easy-to-read report for the private sector to digest. At the same time, private sector entities were sending information to the NBEOC that were consolidated and shared at the highest levels of state and federal government. This information h
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses what is resilience?
The concept seems straightforward in a personal context; building up the psychological fortitude to bounce back from all of life’s bumps and bruises.
But what exactly does it mean for a business to be “resilient”?
We hear a lot of business leaders and highly trained business continuity, crisis management, and security professionals asking this same question. While everyone can agree that resilience is important to their business, there seems to be much less accord about precisely what it entails.
Topics discussed include how to think about organizational resilience within a large, complex organization – and how to go about putting it into place across the organization.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: What is Resilience? * Blog Post: Plan-Do-Check-Act and your Business Continuity Program * Blog Post: Business Continuity Standards: How each can help you * Episode # 121: Metrics for Success in your Business Continuity Program * Episode #123: Plan Do Check Act and your BC Program
Episode Transcript Hello and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I want to talk about the question, what is resilience? Is it just me or is this the new buzzword of 2021, resilience?
The concept seems straightforward in a personal context, building up the psychological fortitude to bounce back from all of life’s bumps and bruises. But what exactly does it mean when we talk about a business being resilient? We hear a lot of business leaders and highly trained business continuity, security, crisis management, risk management professionals, information security professionals asking the same question.
And while everyone can agree that resilience is important to their business, there seems to be a lot less agreement about precisely what it entails. Perhaps it’s because it’s the inherent nature of resiliency to mean something different for every organization. Its precise parameters and components are shaped by its context. Every business has different experiences, threats, and resources. So why should any resiliency program look the same as another?
Still, here at Bryghtpath, we think there are fundamental components that every business should have in place if they want to make good on their resiliency imperatives. So here’s our take. What is resilience? Well, according to the International Standards Organization, ISO, organizational resilience means the ability of an organization to absorb and adapt in a changing environment to enable it to deliver its objectives, to survive and to prosper. But like a lot of standards-based definitions, that leaves an awful lot to read between the lines.
Here at Bryghtpath, we think of resilience as a group of capabilities that supports an organization’s ability to solve big problems, to continue their operations, to protect their assets. And most importantly, protect their people. On a practical level, this is achieved with what we think of as basic blocking and tackling, implementing certain key components in a logical way to prevent plan, for respond to and recover from disruption. Those core compo
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses Business Continuity standards and how they can help you improve your business continuity and resiliency program.
Topics discussed include the ISO 22301 Standard for Organizational Resilience, NFPA 1600, and the ASIS Business Continuity & Crisis Management Standard.
Related Episode & Blog Posts * Blog Post: ISO 27031: Looking at ISO’s Disaster Recovery Standard * Blog Post: Business Continuity Standards: How each can help you * Blog Post: An overview of the NFPA 1600 Standard * Episode #24 – The Traditional Business Impact Analysis (BIA) * Episode #123: Plan Do Check Act and your BC Program
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I’d like to talk about business continuity standards and how each of those standards can help you improve your program of resiliency and business continuity in your organization. No matter how much business experience you have, or how long you have looked, or studied, or thought about risk and resilience in your business, creating a business continuity program can seem daunting. But there are internationally recognized guidelines that exist to help you build the right program for your organization’s unique solution. I want to talk through all the essentials you need to understand each of the internationally accepted guidelines and decide which one works the best for you. These standards and guidelines save you from reinventing the wheel when it comes to business continuity by describing what your program needs.
These guidelines share many common elements, such as calling for top leadership support, your board, your senior executives, assessing risk and business impact analysis. In general, these standards can be adapted to large and small organizations in any industry. They’re also not prescriptive. They describe what you need to do, but not how you need to go about doing it. All of them though, reinforce the same broad business continuity goals. And those are reducing the risk of disruption, supporting the continuity of your business, and reassuring customers and stakeholders that you can continue to operate. I want to start by describing the NFPA 1600 standard on continuity emergency and crisis management.
NFPA is the National Fire Protection Agency, NFPA. This is a U.S.-centric emergency planning specification that’s become globally accepted. NFPA was one of the first standards related to business continuity that appeared after September 11th. The United States Department of Homeland Security adopted this standard, calling it as a, they were describing it rather, as a voluntary consensus standard for emergency preparedness. Likewise, the September 11th Commission Report recognized NFPA 1600 as the national preparedness standard at the time. Despite these endorsements, NFPA 1600 is just a guideline. It’s not a regulatory requirement. It makes up nine chapters on business continuity and emergency management, program management, planning, implementation, training, exercises and tests, and program improvement. Then there’s an Annex B that includes checklists for ongoing self-evaluation.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the Plan Do Check Act Cycle in your Business Continuity Program.
Topics discussed include the Plan Do Check Act Cycle, how the PDCA Cycle connects to the ISO 22301 Standard (and others), and how you can use the PDCA cycle to mature and improve your business continuity program.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: A look at the new ISO 22317 Standard for Business Impact Analysis (BIA) * Blog Post: Using ISO 22301 to Evaluate your Business Continuity Program * Blog Post: Plan-Do-Check-Act and your Business Continuity Program * Episode #110: Is your BC Program ready for the next disruption? * Episode #121: Metrics for Success in your Business Continuity Program * ASQ: What is the Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) Cycle? * Lean Enterprise Institute: Plan, Do, Check, Act
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath, and in this week’s episode of our podcast, I’d like to talk about the Plan Do Check Act Cycle in your Business Continuity Program. And I want to start by talking about the Law of Aggregate Marginal Gain. As this theory goes, many tiny improvements can add up to huge wins over time. In the case of the British Cycling Team from many years ago, the small acclimation of tiny improvements, such as improved hand-washing, new massage gels and pillows, and minor changes to their bike ergonomics were credited for their wildly successful performance at the 2012 Tour de France, and then the London Olympics. For the rest of us, a more practical example of this theory in action might be parking at the far end of the parking lot, taking the stairs, and then skipping dessert to shed a few more pounds over the course of the year. Or if savings are your goal, ditching your drive-through coffee every morning, packing your lunch, and collecting your change can quickly propel your savings efforts into appreciable gains.
In theory, the Law of Aggregate Marginal Gain seems like a foolproof and nearly effortless way to accomplish big things. So how is that then the average 20 something has less than $10,000 in retirement savings? And am I the only person here with a step-tracking smartwatch, I use an Apple Watch, who has yet to fit back into my size 34 jeans that I wore in high school? There’s endless explanations for why as humans we find it hard to make progress towards our goals, whether it’s losing weight or saving money, or making strides in our business. When it comes to organizational resiliency, one of the common problems I see is just not having a good system for implementing and improving maturing your Business Continuity Program. Ad hoc efforts, in my experience, lead to ad hoc results. Opportunities for improvement will slip through the cracks in your program quietly and unimpressively just manage to subsist.
It’s not exactly your dream scenario, especially considering the ramifications of being unprepared for the next disruption that your company will face. Meaningful improvem
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser tells a personal story about an experience he had this past week around his Mom’s heart attack and the importance of helping family, friends, and loved ones recognize the signs of cardiac arrest.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Personal Preparedness: Steps You can Take Today to Improve the Safety of Your Family When Disaster Strikes * Blog Post: Four steps you can take today to improve your personal preparedness * Episode #6 – Personal Preparedness * Episode #69: National Preparedness Month * Episode #71: Pet Preparedness
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I want to tell a more personal story than I usually talk about here on the podcast with a little bit about an experience I had in this past week. I was awoken last Thursday morning by a phone call from my younger brother. I live in Minnesota, but I grew up about 10 hours from here in rural Indiana, where my parents and my brother, who is about five years younger than I am, reside. And my brother called to tell me that my mother had had a medical emergency and was en route to the hospital in an ambulance. It turned out that my mother had her first heart attack, her first real medical emergency in her 71 years of life. Fortunately, she’s on her way to a full recovery and is doing all of the normal post-cardiac issues and challenges that you need to work through after having a life-threatening medical emergency.
Like many women, my mother didn’t recognize that the signs and symptoms that she was experiencing were a serious cardiac issue because she thought of a heart attack as, I’m going to have searing chest pain and pressure. And that, that means I’m having a heart attack, and I should call an ambulance. Instead, she had this enormous shortness of breath that continued to get worse over several hours until she felt like she couldn’t get up off of the couch. She’d actually been up most of the night. Finally called my father on his cell phone. He was asleep at the far end of the house. After having this severe shortness of breath, she never had a feeling of great pressure or any searing chest pain. And we were fortunate that when she awoke my father, who is 74, after several hours of discomfort, that my father recognized the situation for what it was and immediately called 911, which dispatched paramedics.
Now, my parents live in very rural Indiana. It was a great place to grow up, in that there was very little crime, and there were plenty of people that cared about you, and a true sense of community. But it also means that you’re a long way from good medical care. At the time that I was growing up there 25 plus years ago, calling EMS meant that you got a basic life support capability, an EMT, two EMTs, and an ambulance. But now, they have paramedics. But it’s still a 12 to 15-minute wait for them to show up. So, as the paramedics arrived, they recognized the situation for what it was. They were out of the house in less than five minutes en route to the emergency room where she received some treatments, an
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the key metrics to measure the success of your business continuity program.
Topics discussed include business continuity program metrics, maturity models and measurements for continuity programs, strategic metrics that your c-suite wants to see, and operational metrics that show the day-to-day progress of your program.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: ISO 27031: Looking at ISO’s Disaster Recovery Standard * Blog Post: Business Continuity as a Service: How to Outsource Your Continuity Program * Episode #113: Roles and Responsibilities in a BC Program * Episode #116: Tools We Use At Bryghtpath (2021 Edition)
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. In this week’s episode, I would like to talk about key metrics to measure the success of your business continuity program. I’ve been doing this for about 25 years and the question… One of the questions that just makes me cringe is this question: Are there metrics we should be tracking? In short, the answer is yes. Hell yes, there are. What metrics should you be tracking?
Well, it depends. Do you really want to know where your program is working? That your organization’s resilience and actually prepared to respond to the next disruption? Or you just want to make sure the boxes are checked. It’s really not a trick question. I think everyone wants to know if their program and plans would actually work. But if you can’t grasp the difference between these two questions, you’re not alone. We frequently encounter confusion about the fact that merely tracking business continuity program compliance (i.e. checking the boxes) is not the end game for business continuity program success.
It takes more than just know the requirements, do the thing, check the boxes to gauge whether your program is effective, and helping move your organization forward towards its resiliency goals. Employing the right combination of metrics, operational compliance, plan quality, and program maturity are all equally important to understand your organization’s true resilience. Implementing a system that measures all three will give your company the insights it needs to move your program to full maturity, long-term sustainability and success in responding to the next disruption.
Let’s talk about how to understand program metrics. The first is operational compliance metrics. And as I just said, these really only tell you part of the story, but there’s still a foundational starting point for measuring the success of your program. At the very least, you should be looking at progress at the business unit or plan level for BIA completion, business continuity plan completion, whether new plan creation or revisions to plan on whatever your cycle is, completion of exercises and then whether after-action items that have been identified in exercises or actual incidents have been addressed and the improvements implemented.
You can get more detailed here. You could track like policy compliance and attestation of the plan at the next leadership level. You could track… I think I already mentioned training, but you can track all the different elements of things that your program r
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses making the case for your business continuity program with your senior executives.
Topics discussed include: bridging the gap from aspiration to action as a business continuity leader in your organization, positioning your argument, using metrics and benefits to bolster your argument for investment, aligning your program against organizational objectives, and overcoming objections in the discussion.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: How to sell your business continuity program to senior executives * Blog Post: Making the Case for your Business Continuity Program * Episode #81: When to bring in a consultant and use them effectively * Episode #84: Making the case to Leadership
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. I want to talk, in today’s episode, about making the case for your business continuity program. You may not know this, but by 2025, 70% of CEOs, according to Gartner, are predicted to place organizational resilience as a top priority for their company’s strategic basic objectives. That means your CEO is likely, in the next few years, going to place organizational resilience as a top priority for your company. So with resiliency being thrust in the limelight in the way that it is, many business continuity professionals see their next step … might see their next step to sit back and wait for budget money just to rain down on the program, because that’s how it works, right? I think your wait might take longer than you may expect.
I can’t deny it excites me to see our profession gain a new level of visibility and traction as resiliency becomes more important to CEOs. But having spent 21 years in the trenches of corporate America, I know there’s a lot of work to be done to get from the idea of a resiliency mandate like this, to building a business ecosystem that’s prepared to respond to tomorrow’s next issue, your next disruption. A lot of work, a lot of that work centers around convincing the people at the top, your C-suite executives, your top management, as the ISO standards call it, and your board of directors to invest money where it’s needed. Your board knows what they want strategically, but are they really ready to make that spend in support of your program? So it’s your job as a business continuity leader, to help them bridge the gap from aspiration to action.
I want to talk about exactly how to do that. Let’s talk about perspective. If you talk to any marketer, they will tell you the key to making the sale is to get deep into the mind of your target audience. What keeps them up at night? What particular challenges and concerns are facing them at the moment? If they could just press an easy button, the Staples Easy Button, what does it do? If you can answer those questions, you’ll have the insight you need to perfectly position your program, your product, or service as the answer to their woes. It’s not any different, as we think about that when it comes to selling your business continuity program to your executive leaders and board in your organization.
The first step is to get buy-in for your business continuity program strategy is to ensure that it ladders u
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser shared best practices to follow in an investigation of sexual harassment or hostile work environment in your organization. Handled improperly, this can be one of the most critical reputational crisis situations you will ever face.
Topics discussed include employing neutral, third-party investigators, investigation best practices, and the need to take allegations seriously to protect the victims and the organization’s reputation.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #22 – When sexual harassment comes to the C-Suite * Society for HR Management: How to investigate sexual harassment allegations
Episode Transcript Hello and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I want to talk about something that’s been in the news a lot here in Minnesota, over the last couple of weeks. And that is the issue of sexual harassment and allegations of assault that have gone on. Here in Minnesota, there’s a number of allegations happening towards the culture at the Republican Party of Minnesota.
Now, the purpose of today’s podcast episode is not to talk about the actual political scandal that’s going on. I just give you that for some context. What I want to talk about is how to appropriately manage these kinds of situations as a leader in your organization. Before I started Bryghtpath in 2014, I spent 21 years in various roles in corporate security, in a Fortune 50 organization. A lot of that time was spent in crisis management and business continuity, but I also spent time in investigations and I spent time running large security teams in the field in New England and New Jersey and in Baltimore, and in Ohio, before I wound up at a corporate headquarters environment for the last nine years of my career there. And I was a part of many sexual harassment investigations as an investigator and security leader, working with my partners in human resources and employee relations.
So I want to talk just a little bit briefly here about best practices when things like this happen. In most organizations, human resources is responsible for investigating such complaints when they’re made. But often, security leaders, even physical security leaders, are often involved for a number of different reasons. It might be because HR’s not available. It might be because they need additional witnesses or they need another interviewer. It might just be because as a security professional, you have more experience in interviewing and talking with individuals in this context than an HR leader may in some cases.
The professional trade association, if you want to call that for human resources is the Society for HR Management, often called SHRM. Their website is shrm.org. And SHRM has a list of best practices, which we’ll link in the show notes, about how to investigate sexual harassment allegations and these best practices with a little bit of my experience is what I want to talk about today.
First, SHRM recommends that you begin by making an investigative plan when these allegations are made. The plan should outline who will investigate, preferably a neutral outside investigator. That could be you as a security professional or an HR leader or an employee relations leader. It could also be an outside counsel in organizations or where that’s necessary or where the level of the person being investigated, simply calls for that kind of attention to be paid. You want to p
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses one of the biggest threats facing businesses today: ransomware.
Bryan discusses steps you can take to manage and survive ransomware attacks and crisis situations that can have deadly serious consequences to your organization’s operations, continuity, and reputation.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: The Importance of Having a Crisis Communications Strategy * Blog Post: Insider Threat Webinar: The Threat Lurking inside your Organization * Episode #59: All roads lead to one – Crisis Management Framework * Episode #115: Ransomware and Backups
Episode Transcript Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And today I want to talk about one of the biggest threats facing businesses, small, medium, large, Fortune 50 sized organizations, and that is ransomware. And I want to emphasize the need to plan your ransomware attack response now. That there is no time to wait based on thinking about how you will manage this as a business continuity, crisis management, information security professional, as a chief security officer, or as a leader or owner of a business.
If you think about what we’ve seen in just the last six months, food manufacturing and food processing fuel pipelines, police departments, a transportation authority, cities and counties in terms of government. Those are just some of the largest targets that have been hit with ransomware attacks in the United States so far this year in 2021. But for every ransomware story in the news that we see, there are dozens of incidents that go unnoticed, unmentioned because either the company is too small for news outlets to care, or because the organization wants to handle that situation quietly on its own and usually by paying the ransom.
And ransomware is paying really good money. In 2020, the amounts that victim’s paid to regain the use of their data went up more than 300%. I bet your margin didn’t climb 300%, but theirs did. So it’s not surprising that the Washington Post is now claiming that the frequency of attacks have more than doubled from 2019 to 2020. And it seems to be a case of not if a company will be hit, but when a company will be hit. Also, the perfect storm has been created with the pandemic. The growth of remote work has really created the perfect condition for cyber attacks.
Although mobile work and mobile devices have increased for more than a decade now, companies really didn’t proactively communicate the urgency of hardening home-based information security, your home network the way that we should have. Billions of homeworkers during the pandemic have provided multiple entry points through insecure home routers possibly that are still running older encryption like WPS instead of WP
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses what successful crisis management looks like inside of an organization – including some philosophy about how the team at Bryghtpath thinks about leading in a crisis.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: How 3 companies have managed the COVID-19 pandemic * Blog Post: The Importance of Having a Crisis Communications Strategy * Episode #59: All roads lead to one – Crisis Management Framework * Episode #88: What is the goal of crisis management? * Episode #93: Crisis Management Plans – What your executives really want * Episode #96: Crisis leadership in the time of Coronavirus
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And this week, I want to talk a little bit about crisis management philosophy.
I want to hit on really two big topics. One is, as we’re demonstrating to clients in a lot of conversations, what does successful crisis management look like? When you’re inside of a company and you’re watching the company react to a crisis situation and go on to manage that crisis well, whether it’s an IT disruption, it’s a natural disaster like a hurricane, a violent attack like an active assailant, or active shooter situation or it’s a reputational crisis, what does that successful crisis management effort look like inside of a company?
The second is I want to talk a little bit about our crisis management philosophy here at Bryghtpath, how we think about structuring crisis management programs and leading through crisis situations. I’m going to have kind of five key points to make as we talk about that.
So let’s start by talking about what successful crisis management looks like. So, again, you’re inside of a company and you’re watching the company react to a crisis and if you’re managing it well, there are some core key factors that you’re going to see. There’s going to be some key things that will really stand out to you.
The first one is rapid response. The company is going to quickly move to react to the situation. And if they can, if it is a situation where they can prepare for it, if they can be on the left side of the boom, as Harvard professor Juliette Kayyem likes to say, like a hurricane where you know it’s coming, you have three, four, five, maybe even seven days to prepare for that, you’re going to position that response in advance of that incoming storm so you can move as quickly as you can. But no matter what the crisis is, you’re going to see the company respond rapidly. They’re going to get geared up and they’re going to activate their crisis process and they’re going to start to prepare and react.
The second thing you’ll see is that inside of the organization, there are clear roles and responsibilities. Again, there are clear roles and responsibilities. Someone is in charge of the response, the incident leader or incident commander if you want to use an incident command s
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses some of the tools we use here at Bryghtpath each and every day to manage our business and work with our clients.
Tools we discuss include:
- Monday.com
- Notion
- Slack
- Salesforce Sales Cloud Professional
- Superhuman
- Google Workspace
- Drip
- ConvertKit
- Pandadoc
- WordPress
- Zoom
- Avoma
- Quickbooks
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: The Importance of Having a Crisis Communications Strategy * Blog Post: What is a Business Impact Analysis (BIA)? * Episode #109: Business Continuity as a Service (BCaaS) * Episode #111 – The Value of a Trusted Advisor * Episode #114: Mental Health in our Profession
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to The Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I want to talk about a question that we get asked all the time. And that is what are some of the tools that you use there at Bryghtpath to manage your business, to manage collaboration, to work with your clients? And so I want to walk through a couple tools in our suite of tools that we use that really help us do the work that we’re here to do. And then I also want to talk about a couple outside services that we would recommend for consultants or small businesses to have in your back pocket as well.
So let’s start with project management. As a consultant, as somebody who does client engagements on an ongoing basis, one of the tools that we use is our project management tool. And we have been on for most of the past year, a platform called monday.com. You may have seen ads for this on YouTube or Facebook. It’s a newer platform, but one that’s quite interesting that we’ve enjoyed using because of the flexibility that Monday provides. The way that we use Monday within the organization is that we have two types of workspaces, which you can think of as a collection of project boards and reports. Our main workspace is a base of sorts for Bryghtpath, where we have our internal efforts that are going on. These could be projects, it could be maintena
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses Brian Kreb’s recent article “Don’t wanna pay ransom gangs? Test your backups”.
Topics discussed include dealing with ransomware as a disaster recovery and business continuity problem. Do you have the proper backups in place? Do you really know what recovery will require in the event of a large-scale ransomware issue?
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: 6 times business continuity and disaster recovery plans mattered * Blog Post: 10 Ways An Effective Crisis Manager Survives a Crisis * Episode #50: Conducting an Effective After-Action Process * Episode #63: Prioritizing Top Risks * Episode #82: Speed in a Crisis
Episode Transcript Hello, and Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I want to talk about ransomware specifically about backup strategies and ransomware. And what raised this to my attention earlier this week is an article by information security journalist, Brian Krebs who writes at KrebsOnSecurity.com, and his article is entitled, Don’t Wanna Pay Ransom Gangs? Test Your Backups. And Brian hits upon some really important facts and underlying issues with the way we think about ransomware right now.
And we’re thinking about ransomware, I think we think about ransomware primarily as an information security problem, and it is, but it’s also a disaster recovery and business continuity problem. And it’s bigger. It’s more of an issue. It’s a bigger issue than we think of in the BCDR space. So, I want to kind of talk through some key points that Brian makes then I’ll add a little bit of other contexts to wrap up this episode. Krebs writes, look at the comments on almost any story about a ransomware attack and you’ll almost surely encounter the view that the victim organization could have avoided paying the extortionist, the ransom working if they’d only had proper data backups.
The ugly truth, as he writes, there’s many non-obvious reasons why victims wind up paying even though they’ve done nearly everything right from a data backup perspective. His story, he points out is not about what companies are doing in response to cyber criminals that are holding their data for hostage and that’s become a best practice now. And in an approach on how they’re going to, how you respond, how do you do this? But rather why will victims pay for a key? The key that’s needed to decrypt their systems, even when they already have the means to restore anything from backups on their own.
What experts are saying according to Kr
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses mental health as a Business Continuity, Crisis Management, and Corporate Security Professional.
Topics discussed in this episode include stress and anxiety, the impact of the pandemic on business continuity and crisis management professionals, how to find help in an emergency, and where to go to talk about the last several months.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Four steps you can take today to improve your personal preparedness * Blog Post: Making Decisions in the Midst of a Crisis * Episode #94: Personal and family preparedness for Coronavirus * Episode #105: Taking care of yourself during a crisis
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And, in this week’s episode, I want to talk a little bit about mental health. Mental health for you as a business continuity and crisis management, corporate security, professional, and everything that we’ve been through over the last 18 to 20 months as we’ve guided our organizations, our clients, our families through this global pandemic that has driven almost everything that we’ve had to deal with over the last almost two years now.
And, I approach this from the standpoint that I don’t have all the answers. I’m not asking for help here or crying out for help. I’m not trying to be brave or anything like that as I talk about mental health and these challenges we’re faced with, with our own resiliency, with our own challenges. As we think about what we’ve all been through in the last 20 months or so with this pandemic and the role that we’ve had to play as business continuity and crisis management and security professionals.
But, I do think that we need to do a better job as an industry, as individuals, as people normalizing talking about struggles like this. Struggles that we have as we work through challenging situations. Struggles that we have, we may have, with depression or anxiety, both of which are issues I’ve been faced with in my teenage years and adult life. But, also just the stress that we face in these situations that we have to deal with. In my own career, I have dealt with all of the issues related to managing crisis situations where lives were at stake. I have lost fellow employees in shootings and violent crime. My team, when I worked in a Fortune 30 company, regularly dealt with homicides and suicides of their fellow workers. We managed and helped to manage situations where an employee had killed another employee. Sometimes people that we knew and had interactions with.
And, all of the stress that is created in that and all of the trauma that impacts us. And, I think that all of those are things we should acknowledge, but then we look at what we’ve all dealt with in the last two years dealing with the pandemic. Where whether we’ve had support within our organizations or not, whether we’ve had resources, maybe not even the resources that we need within our companies to have dealt with the myriad of issues that we’ve been faced with over the last year and a half, as we’ve dealt with the pandemic.
Our companies
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses roles and responsibilities within a business continuity program. What roles should be established? What are their responsibilities?
Topics discussed include the benefits of having clear roles and responsibilities in a business continuity program, assessing the best talent for key roles in your program, and how the various proposed roles help advance and mature your business continuity program.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Business Continuity Program Roles & Responsibilities * Blog Post: Before the Crisis: The Value of a Trusted Business Continuity & Crisis Management Advisor * Episode #102: The Bryghtpath Business Continuity Framework * Episode #104: Supporting the team in a prolonged crisis * Episode #106: Rethinking Business Continuity in the age of COVID-19
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode of our podcast, I’d like to talk about roles and responsibilities within a business continuity program.
Folks come to us all the time with questions about their business continuity program. Wondering about roles and responsibilities, if you’re wondering about roles and responsibilities, you are not alone. When we talk to businesses about their continuity planning, we get asked every time, and every thing from what is one at the most basic level. A lot of companies don’t understand about business continuity plans, or BCPs and how that’s fundamentally different from disaster recovery planning or crisis planning. Whereas, business continuity plans are about keeping your business running through a disruption. In the latter, disaster recovery plans are about resuming IT operations and bringing back critical technologies and infrastructure.
But we also get questions that are on a more granular level. Like what are the most important roles in a business continuity planner program? What do those roles and responsibilities mean? How do roles interrelate? And how do we ensure we have the right people in these roles? As risk management and continuity experts here, at Bryghtpath, we help companies cut through all this confusion and get clear about the path you need to be on for business continuity planning and program success.
When we talk about business continuity planning, we’re talking about the process of creating a framework that effectively allows you to respond to organizational disruption, minimizing the impact of that disruption on your organization, and ensuring operational continuity and resiliency.
Let’s talk about the benefits of having good continuity planning, and then we’ll transition from that to talking a little bit about the roles and responsibilities. When we take a step back and examine the why of business continuity planning and programs, if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that the unexpected can and absolutely will happen to our organizations. One client of ours shared a debrief of their experience and how having a solid continuity plan was critical to their response
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the Business Impact Analysis (BIA), how we approach the BIA process at Bryghtpath, and the value it can provide to your organization.
Topics discussed include the Business Impact Analysis (BIA), the ISO 22301 Standard for Organizational Resilience, our approach to the BIA here at Bryghtpath, and the value of the Business Impact Analysis.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: What is a Business Impact Analysis (BIA)? * Blog Post: Validating your Business Impact Analysis Results * Blog Post: Why failing to validate your business impact analysis results is a huge mistake * Episode #24 – The Traditional Business Impact Analysis (BIA) * Episode #25 – To BIA or not to BIA
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this week’s episode, I’d like to talk about the business impact analysis or BIA. We’ll talk a little bit about what it means, how you go about doing one, our approach in doing so and what the value is in doing the BIA in your organization. I started off with kind of this question, which is how many days of payroll can you lose? How many days can your payroll function in your company be down before it impacts your business? What about the servers that power your product or platform that you provide to customers? Or what about your virtual private network, your VPN, that employees use the connect to your secure resources and work remotely, that you probably use a lot during COVID. An hour, a day, a few weeks a month?
If you’re like many companies, we talked to you, you may not know how long your business can survive without critical systems and business processes. For that reason, a thorough business impact analysis or BIA is one of the most important steps that we take when we work with new clients. Here’s what a business impact analysis is, why it’s important and what you’re going to learn by doing one. So, what is the BIA? Well, the formal description of a business impact analysis from the ISO 22301 standard on organizational resilience is the process of analyzing the impact over time of a disruption to the organization. The process of analyzing the impact over time of a disruption to the organization. To say it more clearly, a BIA is
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses in detail the value of working with a Trusted Advisor before there is a disruption or crisis in your business. How can having an expert guiding your every move related to business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, and crisis communication be of value to you and your program?
Topics discussed include the value of a trusted advisor, coaching & advisory services, how a trusted advisor can help mature your program, and ways in which you might utilize a trusted advisor in a critical moment.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Before the Crisis: The Value of a Trusted Business Continuity & Crisis Management Advisor * Blog Post: Evaluating Business Continuity Programs: Is your Business Continuity Program ready for the next Disruption? * Episode #50: Conducting an Effective After-Action Process * Episode #63: Prioritizing Top Risks * Episode #81: When to bring in a consultant and use them effectively
Episode Transcript Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. With today’s episode, I want to start off by kind of illustrating a situation and then getting into the real meat of this episode. And that is, I’ve been in this space about 30 years. And during that time, I’ve always been in some way, shape, or form on call. Sometimes a Bryghtpath client will call me late at night or early in the morning and they’re not checking in. It’s not a social call.
They’re not out having a drink and calling me to check in or have some discussion about family or anything like that. Something’s happened. Something’s happened at their company and they’re calling to ask for help. In my three decades in working in business continuity and crisis management, I’ve gotten calls because of workplace fatalities, active shooter incidents, data breaches, employees stranded in a foreign country because of civil unrest or geopolitical disruption, for natural disasters, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, executive malfeasance, and just many, many more.
If it’s happened, I’ve probably have dealt with it in some way, shape, or form. And that doesn’t count national and global disruptions like COVID. These are the ones that prompt phone calls and emails from every company we work with, and they’re all looking for help with their response. Every company deals with business disruptions and crisis situations, and no one wants to think about… For the most part, no one, other than us who work in the
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser asks how you can know if your business continuity program is ready for the next disruption?
In other words, how can you evaluate your current business continuity program and tell if you’re ready for what’s next?
Topics discussed in this episode include industry standards such as ISO 22301, business continuity program evaluations, business continuity maturity models, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Evaluating Business Continuity Programs: Is your Business Continuity Program ready for the next Disruption? * Blog Post: ISO 27031: Looking at ISO’s Disaster Recovery Standard * Episode #91: Roles and Responsibilities in a Business Continuity Program * Episode #93: Crisis Management Plans – What your executives really want * Episode #96: Crisis leadership in the time of Coronavirus
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast this is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I want to start off by setting the stage for the discussion that we’re going to have about understanding if your business continuity program, your crisis management program, is truly ready for the next disruption. So, I want to take you back to August and September of 2017, the beginning of the most recent run of crisis situations of business disruptions around the world. We had a series of hurricanes that tore through the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. We had Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, three of the strongest hurricanes in recent memories. They took hundreds of lives and inflicted $210 billion in combined damage between the three storms, between the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. We fast-forward just two years later as we’re still recovering, in some cases, economically from the impact of those three hurricanes and even, logistically, still challenges in Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean.
And now, we’re faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020. March 11th, 2020, the National Basketball Association postpones its season with no clear idea if or when that it could resume. And then within days, companies across the country and truly around the world, sent their employees home, many of them with no clear plan of how to do their job remotely, all of this due to COVID-19 and the pandemic that we’ve all been faced with the last 15 years. And that hurricane season in 2017 and the pandemic of the last year and a half are just two of many recent examples of crisis events that have drastically disrupted business operations. So the question is, in the event of a disaster, how will you respond? And nobody enjoys thinking about crisis management or disaster recovery, outside of those of us that work in this space and do it because we enjoy the work, but nobody really wants to sit and think about these things, certainly not at all your senior executives.
But the questions that business leader
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses Business Continuity as a Service (BCaaS) and how you can mature your business continuity program through outsourcing your program with a company like Bryghtpath.
Topics discussed include what is business continuity as a service, how you can use it to mature your business continuity program while reducing your organization’s financial commitment to the program, and why companies would choose to outsource this service versus doing it in-house.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Business Continuity as a Service: How to Outsource Your Continuity Program * Blog Post: Before the Crisis: The Value of a Trusted Business Continuity & Crisis Management Advisor * Episode #45: Small Business Continuity Planning * Episode #102: The Bryghtpath Business Continuity Framework * Episode #106: Rethinking Business Continuity in the age of COVID-19
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And this week I would like to talk about outsourcing your business continuity program. Or in other words, how can you contract with a company like us to provide business continuity as a service?
Now, lots of companies build and manage their business continuity programs in-house. They might hire an expert that has run a team before, run a program before at another organization. But they often will hire an expert in resiliency to help design and execute a program internally. But this comes with challenges. And if you lack the in-house expertise, or you need to implement a business continuity program quickly, you have another option. And that is business continuity as a service.
So what is that? What does that mean? Well, business continuity as a service is the practice of contracting with a third-party firm to design, build, execute, and maintain your resiliency program, your business continuity program. And at Bryghtpath, we work with a number of companies to do exactly this. And we often use the ISO 22301 standard as the industry standard, as to how we approach that service.
We offer business continuity as a service to companies of all sizes. Small consulting firms, up to multi-billion dollar utilities, healthcare organizations, and technology firms. So when we define business continuity as a service, we’re talking about the practice of contracting with a third-party firm to design-build, execute, and maintain your program. Now, why would you do this? Why would you outsource this?
Well, there’s a lot of reasons why companies choose business continuity
In this episode of our Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and CEO Bryan Strawser discusses the trends that we’ll see in the Post-COVID ‘New Normal’ or ‘Next Normal’.
Topics discussed include remote work, business travel, work productivity, collaboration technology, telehealth, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: What the COVID-19 pandemic will mean for the office of the future * Blog Post: Engaging your Board of Directors on your Crisis Communications Strategy * Episode #97: Returning to the office in the age of COVID-19 * Episode #105: Taking care of yourself during a crisis * Episode #106: Rethinking Business Continuity in the age of COVID-19
Episode Transcript Welcome to Managing Uncertainty, podcast series from the experts at Bryghtpath, discussing global risk, business continuity, and crisis management. Will you be ready to lead your organization through its critical moment?
Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. And in this episode, I want to talk a little bit about the trends that we’re going to see as we begin to adapt to the next normal, as we begin to adapt to what we hope will be a post-pandemic world. With the vaccine now beginning to roll out, we start to see some light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope that there’s not another disaster or calamity headed our way.
So we really view 2021 as a year of change and transition, as we talked about in the previous episode, about returning back to work, about the role that distributed workplaces and remote work will play for us in the coming months and year. Here, I want to talk about some trends that have really been forced on us by COVID, by the global pandemic related to COVID-19, but also some changes that were accelerated that were already in the works, that the pandemic forced us to address more quickly than we would have expected. These are some trends that we expect are going to take place, and in some cases, are already taking place.
The first one is that we’re already starting to see leisure travel begin to bounce back. We’re seeing more people taking vacation, we’re seeing more people travel to vacation spots, both in and outside of the United States. And that folks really want to get back to traveling for pleasure. And we saw a celebration of this in the third and fourth quarter of 2020, but I expect that that will accelerate even more quickly in 2021, in places where the pandemic has lessened significantly, particularly in countries like New Zealand, and Australia, and China, if you’re to believe their figures. Leisure travel is back in a huge way, at least within the country, where folks are going to leisure locations.
The challenge though for travel is that business travel is lagging significantly. And we’re seeing this with our own clients, where folks are saying they don’t want to travel for business until they and their families have been vaccinated, or until the pandemic has ended, which may be very connected, in terms of vaccination, helping us get to the end.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Officer Bryan Strawser discusses returning to the office in 2021 in a Post-COVID world, what role will remote work play?
As vaccines roll out around the world, we may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic. But when we are able to return to the office, will workers want to return? Bryan discusses the role of remote work, distributed teams, and working from home in the new normal.
Topics discussed include remote & distributed work, rethinking return to the office strategies, the pros and cons of distributed teams, data from a recent survey from McKinsey on the subject, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: COVID-19 Safety through the Holidays and Beyond * Blog Post: Engaging your remote workforce * Episode #94: Personal and family preparedness for Coronavirus * Episode #95: Lessons learned to date from the Coronavirus fight * Episode #96: Crisis leadership in the time of Coronavirus * Episode #97: Returning to the office in the age of COVID-19 * Episode #106: Rethinking Business Continuity in the age of COVID-19
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And hey, it’s February 2021 when I’m recording this episode. We’ve taken a little bit of a pause from the podcast. I think our last episode was in August 2020, and things just got really busy for us here at Bryghtpath. We’ve had to staff up, hire some new folks. I’m also a graduate student and came back to class and got really just embroiled in that second year of a master’s program, and yeah. But in any event, it’s February 2021 as we’re recording this. We’re going to be back to weekly episodes of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast moving forward. Glad all of you have stuck with us, and look forward to your feedback and thoughts, and comments along the way.
In this edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, I want to talk a little bit about returning to work in this new post-COVID era that we are hopefully embarking on, now that we have approved vaccines around the world. We’re starting to see mass vaccinations happen, even here in the United States. We’re starting to move forward on those vaccinations and hoping that this is us coming out of the tunnel into the light as we move forward.
And so one of the things I want to talk about is this idea of virtual work and how this is going to play a significant part in our future in the knowledge economy, for knowledge workers, for folks whose work really involves using the information and knowledge that’s at their fingertips and applying that knowledge through things like IT, through call center leadership, and all of these other roles that are out there where you are able to work from home, where you don’t have
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses how business continuity strategy should be rethought in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
How are executives thinking about business continuity right now? How did planning, or the lack of planning, impact the response of organizations around the world? What will the future of business continuity look like compared to the past decade?
Topics discussed include rethinking business continuity strategies, focusing on health as companies return to the office, governance practices, single points of failure, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #92: Novel Coronavirus * Episode #94: Personal and family preparedness for Coronavirus * Episode #95: Lessons learned to date from the Coronavirus fight * Episode #96: Crisis leadership in the time of Coronavirus * Episode #97: Returning to the office in the age of COVID-19 * Blog Post: How 3 companies have managed the COVID-19 pandemic * Blog Post: What the COVID-19 pandemic will mean for the office of the future
Episode Transcript Hello. And welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I want to talk about the fact that the pandemic I think has proven to us that how we think about business continuity planning is wrong. And how we need to think about business continuity in the months and years to come has to be different. That it’s been heavily influenced by what we’ve experienced during the COVID-19 global pandemic and how this reshapes the way that executives and your boards of directors are thinking about business continuity right now, even if they haven’t articulated this to you yet.
I believe as we have moved through the pandemic, now we’re five months in if you’re in North America and farther in if you’re in Europe, Africa, the Middle East or Asia, where you’ve been experiencing this longer, there’s no way to think of this other than this has been a serious disruption from COVID and that has had a material and significant impact on our workforce and on our businesses worldwide. And I’m beginning to see an awakening amongst the business and technology leaders around the idea of business continuity.
And if you think about it, this has to be true. Because the pandemic itself has exposed significant gaps in how we think about bus
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about how to take care of yourself through a major crisis – such as the COVID-19 pandemic that we’re all engaged in working to manage.
Topics discussed include self-care, taking immediate action where warranted, going to “the basement”, where to go for help, how stress manifests itself, and coping mechanisms for stress.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #37: Taking care of the team during a crisis * Episode #104: Supporting the team in a prolonged crisis * Blog Post: How 3 companies have managed the COVID-19 pandemic * Blog Post: 10 Ways an effective crisis manager survives a crisis * Blog Post: 3 essentials for thriving in a crisis
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. And in today’s episode, I want to talk about how to cope with the stress of working through the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve had some previous episodes over the past five months where we’ve talked about how to help the team. How do you help your crisis team? How do you help your executives? How do you help your teamwork through the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the issues that have come up?
But this episode is different. I want to talk about how to cope with your own stress. How to work through the challenges that you’re facing as the business continuity, crisis management, resiliency, security leader in your organization? Or even just in your role as a member of your family, or as an individual and how you can work through that.
Each one of us is handling the stress of COVID-19 in our own way. And for some of us, we endure more stress than others. We process stress differently and that’s normal. Everyone handles challenging situations in different ways. And no two of us really process this alike, but certainly fear and anxiety with COVID play a pretty significant role in our mental health and how we think about what’s going on in the world right now.
And even today, and I’m recording this episode on July 22nd, 2020. I saw a post on social media from a friend of mine who is normally one of the most rock-solid, confident, carefree individuals who is in a great marriage with great children. Both of them are full time employed. Haven’t been impacted by this epidemic except in the area of stress and mental health.
And you know what I saw today, it concerned me a little bit and five months into this pandemic with no end in sight and changes continuing to happen in terms of mask mandates and not knowing what we’re going to do for school in the fall. Not knowing when we’ll be returning to the office in some environments, certainly has created a different level of s
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses strategies and tactics for supporting your crisis management team (and others) during a prolonged crisis such as we’ve seen with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics discussed include critical incident debriefings and counseling, managing stress, checking in with your team, stress management tactics, vacations and rest, compensation & benefits, and taking care of each other across the emergency management/crisis management community.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #37: Taking care of the team during a crisis * Blog Post: How 3 companies have managed the COVID-19 pandemic * Blog Post: 10 Ways an effective crisis manager survives a crisis * Blog Post: 3 essentials for thriving in a crisis
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath.
In this week’s episode, I want to talk about how to support your crisis team during a prolonged crisis. If you think about it right now, we’re fiveish months into the COVID-19 pandemic here in the United States.
And if you’re a crisis leader in another country, you may be seven, eight or nine months into this situation right now, likely without much of a break away from the pandemic, or at least that’s what I’ve been experiencing since about February or so when we started seeing cases or started having the buildup here within the United States.
For most of us, I think we’re deep into supporting our team. We’re having daily or multiple times a day and weekly crisis team calls, executive calls. We’re briefing executives. We’re talking to the board, or if you’re in my case, you’re advising clients and helping them be successful as they try and navigate through this crisis situation.
So the big question for this episode is how can you, as the crisis or business continuity leader, make sure that you’re taking care of your team throughout this prolonged crisis situation that we found ourselves in with COVID-19 and the pandemic. And complicating this, I think on top of the usual strain and challenges and emotions that we go through in a crisis, we’re dealing with a set of just unprecedented stresses. We’ve been teaching our kids because our kids haven’t been able to go to school. We’ve had to deal with childcare issues or a complete lack of childcare. We’ve been balancing the roles of parents and employees.
We’ve been balancing being a spouse and being an employee, and we’re dealing with this multitude of remote work and work from home issues that we’ve all had to work through ourselves, and with our teams, and with our partners and stakeholders.
So we have all these unusual stresses, and all of that is on top of what we’re dealing with as folks who work in crisis management. I thin
In this episode of Managing Uncertainty, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the new ASIS/ANSI Workplace Violence and Active Assailant – Prevention, Intervention, and Response Standard.
The newly revised and expanded standard provides an overview of policies, processes, and protocols that organizations can adopt to help identify, assess, respond to, and mitigate threatening or intimidating behavior and violence affecting the workplace. It describes the implementation of a workplace violence prevention and intervention (WVPI) program and personnel within organizations that typically become involved in prevention and intervention efforts.
In addition, this standard now includes an annex that provides actionable information and guidance relative to prevention, intervention, and response to incidents involving an active assailant/active shooter.
Related Episodes & Articles * Episode #41: Threat Incident Risk Factors * Episode #42: Threat Severity Levels * Episode #43: Threat Management Framework * Episode #68: Reductions in Force * Episode #100: But they are weird! * Episode #101: Managing high-risk terminations * Blog Post: Helping employees recognize and report suspicious or threatening behavior
Bryghtpath Workplace Violence Prevention Resources * FREE Masterclass: Four steps to managing threats of workplace violence in your business or school * Bryghtpath’s Insights on Workplace Violence & Threat Management * Bryghtpath’s FREE webinars, including “Shots Fired! Leading in an active shooter incident” * Whitepaper / Special Report: Notable Workplace Violence Incidents
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath. Today we’re talking about the new American Society for Industrial Security Workplace Violence Prevention and Active Assailant prevention, intervention, and response standard, which was just published last month in June 2020. This is a revision to a nine-year-old standard that was originally published in 2011 that was simply titled the Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser reviews steps that organizations should consider when managing high-risk terminations.
Topics discussed include threat assessment, threat incident risk factors, threat severity levels, understanding what high-risk terminations look like, managing reductions in force, and the steps organizations should take in high-risk termination situations.
Related Blog Posts & Episodes * Episode #41: Threat Incident Risk Factors * Episode #42: Threat Severity Levels * Episode #43: Threat Management Framework * Episode #68: Reductions in Force * Blog Post: Helping employees recognize and report suspicious or threatening behavior
Bryghtpath Workplace Violence Prevention Resources * FREE Masterclass: Four steps to managing threats of workplace violence in your business or school * Bryghtpath’s Insights on Workplace Violence & Threat Management * Bryghtpath’s FREE webinars, including “Shots Fired! Leading in an active shooter incident” * Whitepaper / Special Report: Notable Workplace Violence Incidents
Episode Transcript Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast.
This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath, and today we’re going to talk about managing high-risk terminations through the lens of thinking about how to prevent a workplace violence incident from occurring during this high-risk termination situation.
It’s one of the most common questions that we get when folks call us, prospective clients or existing clients, and ask about a workplace violence situation.
A lot of the times they’re asking about, how do I deal with this, what feels like this high-risk termination environment? And what do I do in terms of making sure that people are safe? And how do I know that this is actually high risk?
How do I know that there’s actually a challenge here that we may need to think through? And so that’s what I want to talk about on this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, managing high-risk terminations.
So let’s start with this question, what makes a situation high risk? What makes a termination high risk? And I think as you think about this, it’s normal for folks to get a little emotional about what is and isn’t high risk. And we want to remove emotion from this discussion and rea
As states, counties, and cities begin to lift stay-at-home orders and companies begin to make plans to return to the office in the coming weeks and months, what social distancing considerations should organizations include in their planning?
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser walks through a number of social distancing considerations, including workstations, cubicles, meeting rooms, offices, walkways & hallways, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #92: Novel Coronavirus * Episode #94: Personal and family preparedness for Coronavirus * Episode #95: Lessons learned to date from the Coronavirus fight * Episode #96: Crisis leadership in the time of Coronavirus * Episode #97: Returning to the office in the age of COVID-19
Episode Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. I’m flying solo again today due to Minnesota stay at home and social distancing guidelines that we have in place, as I’m sure you are dealing with in your own workplace today, I hope that you are doing well. I want to spend just a little bit of time and talk about social distancing guidelines for businesses, as you start to think about reopening or returning to the office or other environment that you might work in, what social distancing and what PPE might look like, in this environment.
And so I want to talk through some things that we’ve been thinking about that we’ve been doing with other clients. And hopefully, this gives you some advice on how to implement these in your own business.
I’ll start by saying something we’ve said before, and that is that we have absolutely no idea what government is going to do what the government might require a view in order to return to the office. And you may see state by state, county, by county, city by city differences large and small in what those requirements are. But here are some things that we’ve seen put into place in businesses that have to be open right now. And things that we expect would be on your menu of things to consider, as you think about reopening in going back to the office, or reopening your small retail store or bakery or, you know, whatever your businesses. The first is that you really have to think about the entire structure that you have for your business and start thinking about it in terms of social distancing. And so I’ll start with something basic and that is like walking down the hallway or doing going down a walkway.
What we’ve seen be effective, what the CDC is recommending and critical infrastructure already is to create some kind of barrier or delineation that creates one-way l
Leaders at all levels are being challenged today by the multitude of business leadership issues arising from the Coronavirus epidemic. The challenges are significant – from how one takes care of their employees, to how to best communicate with your customers or clients, to how to stay on top of the situation from day to day.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser talks about leading through the Coronavirus epidemic. Topics discussed include crisis leadership, crisis management frameworks, crisis communications, customer communications, cross-functional business leadership, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #44: Successful crisis characteristics * Episode #47: A crisis team is not an academic debating society * Episode #94: Personal and family preparedness for Coronavirus * Episode #95: Lessons learned to date from the Coronavirus fight * Blog Post: Making Decisions in the Midst of a Crisis
Episode Transcript
Bryan Strawser:
Hello and welcome to the managing uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. I’m solo again today. And, I want to talk about leadership in a crisis, focusing on what’s going on with coronavirus. And, what this really means from a crisis leadership perspective.
I think, without a doubt, the coronavirus pandemic is a crisis unlike any other we’ve seen in recent times. I’ve been involved in crisis management since about 2000. So, 20 years now. And, in all of the different crisis situations, active shooter situations, homicides, pandemics, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters that have happened, this is far beyond anything that I’ve ever seen before.
It’s certainly not a time where there’s a playbook that you can pull out and say, “Well, here’s what we should do.” Down to every step. Those days are really behind us now. Leaders facing this crisis today, crisis leaders, business leaders, who may not have a lot of experience in crisis management are really facing a significant amount of uncertainty and really just sheer unpredictability at this point as this crisis unfolds.
I mean, look at some of the challenges that business leaders are faced with right now. There’s a fearful workforce. We’re looking at a really shaky economic foundation. We have a customer and consumer marketplace that’s bordering on panic. I mean, for God’s sake, people are buying out all the toilet paper that’s out there. And, we don’t know what steps the government may choose to take tomorrow in order to address the crisis that’s in front of them or that is headed at them in the coming days.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser tackles the topic of Personal and Family Preparedness for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Topics discussed include the Ready Campaign and their themes of: have a plan, make a kit, be informed – and specific steps that you and your family can take to prepare for a potential epidemic of Coronavirus Disease in your state or local community.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #6: Personal Preparedness * Episode #69: National Preparedness Month 2019 * Episode #92: Novel Coronavirus
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hi folks. Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast for this week. We’re going to be talking about personal and family preparedness as it relates to the current Coronavirus outbreak. We’ve talked about personal and family preparedness before here on the podcast, usually in conjunction with National Preparedness Month, which here in the United States is in September. Although there are other countries that do it, do something similar at different times of the year. But today I want to talk specifically about a personal and family preparedness when it comes to looking at the potential pandemic with Coronavirus around the world. But I’m going to also give maybe a little bit of a US-North America-centric point of view.
Bryan Strawser: So let’s start with some basics about personal and family preparedness. No matter where you’re at in the world, I think one of the best resources to start with is to look at the Ready Campaign, which is a product of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA. You can find this website at ready.gov and it is full of all kinds of preparedness information as it relates to personal and family and business preparedness and it also has some resources right now available for Coronavirus. So what the Ready Campaign advocates strongly for individuals and families is a three-step process.
Bryan Strawser: First is to make a plan. What we want to think about here is having an emergency plan for yourself and your family members so that whether you’re together or not at the time the disaster strikes you know how you will contact one another, reconnect if separated and then how you will kind of communicate and move through that disaster together. The plan starts by getting together with your family and answering four questions together and there is, I should point out, there is a plan template at ready.gov/plan. But there are four steps that the Ready Campaign talks about when it comes to make a plan.
Bryan Strawser: The first is to talk through these four questions with your family, your friends, or your household. The first is how will you receive emergency alerts and warnings? So how can you use your technology
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses what your executives are really looking for in your crisis management plans.
Topics discussed include executive roles in a crisis management framework, developing crisis management plans, crisis exercises, executive interactions, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #4: The Crisis Team * Episode #18: The Race * Episode #23: Crisis Management is not a Pickup Game * Episode #46: Interacting with the C-Suite * Blog Post: What the CEO needs to understand about planning for a crisis
Episode Transcript
Bryan Strawser:
Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. I’m flying solo today and we’re going to do a short episode this week talking about crisis management plans, and what I want to focus on our discussion about crisis management plans, a topic that we’ve talked about numerous times before, is what happens when your executives get involved? When your executives are at the table, involved in your crisis process, what do they really want? What are your executives really looking for in terms of a crisis management plan?
Bryan Strawser:
If you remember in our previous episodes and blog posts we’ve done over the years about building crisis management plans and crisis management frameworks, what we’ve really talked about in those situations is building something that has a crisis management team that is below the executives, that really is managing that moment-by-moment action that we want to happen during a crisis. They’re coordinating across the organization. They’re communicating, they’re collaborating, they’re making those moment-by-moment decisions.
Bryan Strawser:
The role that we typically reserve for the executives is to support the work of that crisis management team, usually in a couple of key areas around large scale expense and capital commitment. They’re making decisions about the organization’s reputation, and they might be taking active steps to manage the reputation of the organization, but they’re really focused in that middle area there. I’m sorry, they’re focused on rather on really those big picture issues where they’re supporting the crisis management team. Your crisis management team is really made up of those day-to-day managers from across the organization who are doing the real work in responding to the crisis. Your executives are there to support the work that that crisis management team is doing and making decisions on the type of things that escalate to them.
Bryan Strawser:
Here’s my experience. My experience and I just went into this a few weeks ago with a client who is managing a data in
You won’t want to miss this episode.
There are few things that have caught the attention of business leaders and individuals around the world right now in the way that the Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China has garnered attention. For a virus that was unheard of prior to December 2019, as of this podcast publication, there are nearly 25,000 cases just in China alone – with hundreds of new confirmed cases each and every day.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal and Chief Executive Bryan Strawser provides an overview of Novel Coronavirus – what it is – how it’s impacting businesses, countries, and individuals, and recommended steps that companies and individuals should take right now to ensure their long-term continuity of operations.
Bryghtpath Coronavirus Resources * Blog Post: Bryghtpath publishes new Novel Coronavirus whitepaper & briefing * Bryghtpath Briefing: Novel Coronavirus
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #4: The Crisis Team * Episode #6: Personal Preparedness * Episode #37: Taking care of the team during a crisis * Episode #39: Travel Safety & Security Programs * Blog Post: What the CEO needs to understand about planning for a crisis * Blog Post: Making decisions in the midst of a crisis
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. I’m flying solo again today for this episode where we’re going to talk about probably the top issue that’s going on in the emergency management or crisis management world right now and that is novel coronavirus. The outbreak that began in the Wuhan province of China and has now led to what appears to be becoming a global pandemic, the likes of which we haven’t really seen since H1N1 just over a decade ago. Novel coronavirus. We’re going to talk a little bit about what it is. What is a coronavirus, the impact and spread of the virus, its impact on business and travel, its impact on businesses and our recommendations for businesses and individual precautions in terms of travel and medical treatment? And we’ll talk about some things you should be thinking about as this outbreak continues, things you should monitor as an organization, as a crisis management or business [inaudible] leader within your organization.
Bryan Strawser: Let’s start by just explaining coronavirus briefly. The novel coronavirus was detected in December 2019 so not very long ago when several cases of pneumonia were identified in Wuhan city in the Hubei providence of China. The virus did not match any previously seen virus. A week later on January 7, 2020, Chinese health officials confirmed the identification of a new virus. On January 30th the world health organization or WHO declared a global public health emergency over the spread of coronavirus, citing the potential for the spread of the virus to countries that were not prepared to deal with the contagion. The US Department of Health and Human Services or HHS similarly declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020. Common signs of infection with novel coronavirus are respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, this infection causes pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, kidney failure, and even death.
Bryan Strawser: The virus has been temporarily named coronavirus. It also has an acronym which is 2019-nCoV for novel coronavirus of 2019. I assume, I’m not an expert on this particular topic, but I assume this will eventually have a different name, but right now it’s novel coronavirus. A coronavirus, you’re probably wondering what that is. A coronavirus is a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases. Some of these diseases that are caused by other coronaviruses from history that you might recall are the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS and the Middle East respiratory syndrome or MERS. So those are both other coronaviruses but that’s not the same as the novel coronavirus. As of this morning, and we’re recording this podcast on February 5, 2020, so our information dates from that morning, China has acknowledged nearly 25,000 cases of novel coronavirus and has acknowledged 491 deaths to date. Cases are now identified in 13 Chinese provinces and four major municipalities.
Bryan Strawser: The municipalities with cases include Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai and then both special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have had cases. Hong Kong had their first death today, February 5th. According to reports, novel coronavirus has been confirmed in several countries outside of China and these include Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, the United States, Canada, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the United Arab Emirates. For our friends here in the United States 11 patients so far have tested positive for novel coronavirus.
Bryan Strawser: As of February 5th 76 cases nationwide are pending test results. This information according to the Centers for Disease Control. 36 States have had patients that are presently under investigation for potentially having novel coronavirus. To date, two patients in the United Kingdom have tested positive for coronavirus. The UK chief medical officers, I think of that as a decision body similar to the CDC, has raised the risk to the public from low to moderate in the United Kingdom. The UK newspaper, The Guardian believes and reports rather than modeling that was conducted by the world health organization experts at Imperial College, London suggests that more than 100,000 people globally likely have novel coronavirus that has not yet been detected.
Bryan Strawser: We have seen significant growth in the outbreak over the last several days. In one case, well going into this week, the number of confirmed cases nearly tripled over the last seven days. Let’s shift gears now that we’ve given little basic and talk about business and travel impact. The United States Department of State advises that US citizens should not travel to China now due to novel coronavirus. In their travel advisory issued on January 30th, the State Department recommends that US citizens currently in China should consider departing via commercial means as quickly as possible.
Bryan Strawser: All nonessential US government personnel have also been ordered to depart China. Travelers should be prepared for additional travel restrictions to be put into effect with little to no advance notice. Airports and immigration officials in many countries, including the United States, the UK, Japan, China, and elsewhere have begun screening incoming passengers for signs of coronavirus. Passengers could experience temperature monitoring and health-related questions at immigration, particularly if they have traveled to China in the past 14 days. Now, probably the most significant change we’ve seen here in the United States is that starting on the 2nd of February, so just three days ago, the US Department of Homeland Security established and implemented 11 US airports that would be the gateway locations for flights that were carrying passengers from China, meaning that those were the only flights from China would only be allowed to land at one of these 11 airports where the US government through the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control had established enhanced passenger screening and implemented quarantined capabilities that have been established there.
Bryan Strawser: What their order requires is that if indications of coronavirus are found that they have the authority to quarantine travelers entering the United States for up to 14 days to determine whether or not they have novel coronavirus and other countries are now implementing similar restrictions. Often on short notice. Hong Kong has now closed the border with mainland China and has closed schools until March as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. Supplies of hand sanitizer and N95 masks in Hong Kong have become slim and this is actually a factor we’re seeing in a number of places that the personal protective equipment or PPE that you’re going to want like N95 masks and hand sanitizers have become very difficult to obtain even here in the United States in cities that have not seen any impact from novel coronavirus. Singapore has stopped issuing visas to people who have Chinese passports.
Bryan Strawser: They’re actively denying entry to foreigners who have visited China in the past 14 days. Mongolia has announced it’s currently barring visitors from China and has closed their own land border with China. We’re also seeing business impact to companies who operate in China where they’re enforcing longer leaves and vacations, requiring employees to work from home and suspending operations in the short term in order to minimize the spread of the virus. We assess here at Bryghtpath that companies will begin to experience supply chain disruption if they operate in Asia or if their supply chain touches Asia simply due to the rapid spread of the virus, the impact it is having on businesses and the restrictions that governments are placing on travelers and business operations. So we have a number of recommendations. I’m going to give you the high-level recommendations here on the podcast and on our website you can go to the episode page for this episode and look for our free intelligence and threat briefing on novel coronavirus and we have a significant number of other recommendations that you can consider.
Bryan Strawser: But let’s talk about just some high-level recommendations that could be important. For businesses, we recommend that companies that operate in or travel to the impacted areas primarily in Asia, activate their crisis management processes today and use this as a mechanism for monitoring and making enterprise-level decisions for their organizations. Get your group together and talk about what’s going on and the actions that you should take. Given the current pace of the outbreak, we recommend that companies have at least one daily meeting of their crisis management team to review current information, the current state of their response to actions and discuss potential future actions. Organizations should review their current business continuity and crisis management plans. You want to make sure that you are prepared for potential disruption. In particular disruptions to the ability of your employee base to work, of your supply chain to deliver the materials, products, and services that you need for your company to operate and that third party service organizations that you use are prepared to continue the delivery of critical services.
Bryan Strawser: This is important to take a look at now so you understand where there may be gaps in planning, but also to think about from a contingency standpoint, what else might you need to do around your current business continuity and crisis management plans to ensure that you can continue to operate if the outbreak continues. We recommend that companies temporarily prohibit all travel to China and restrict several other countries to essential and business-critical travel only while continuing to monitor the outbreak and what countries it has spread to in the region. Additional travel restrictions might be things you want to put into place if the outbreak continues to grow significantly beyond mainland China and again in our intelligence and threat briefing, we have a full list of our recommended travel restrictions for businesses and we have a lengthy breakdown of potential actions that should be considered as a part of business continuity and crisis management planning.
Bryan Strawser: I want to shift gears briefly and talk about travel and individual precautions that you may want to consider for your employees. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization and our company recommends that travelers avoid all travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau at the current time. If you absolutely must travel to an impacted country, avoid contact with people who are sick. I don’t care what they’re sick from, avoid contact with them. You should discuss travel to impacted areas with your healthcare provider before you make your trip. In particular, older adults and travelers who have underlying health issues should be understood to be at risk for more severe impacts if they’re to become effected by novel coronavirus and there may be other action steps that your healthcare provider may want you to take. When in these countries avoid all animals alive or dead, any animal markets and any products that come from animals.
Bryan Strawser: In other words, don’t handle any uncooked meat or any other animal products. You should wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and then you should carry and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for use when soap and water are not available. So these are if you must go to an impacted country or some of the business essential only travel countries that we talk about in our intelligence and threat briefing. If you or your employees have been to China, Hong Kong or Macau in the last two weeks and in any way feel sick with fever, cough, or having difficulty breathing, there’s a number of steps you should take immediately. The first is to seek medical attention. Before you go to the doctor’s office or emergency room or a clinic, call ahead, tell them where you’ve been and tell them what your symptoms are. Ask them what they would like you to do.
Bryan Strawser: You want to avoid contact with others, including members of your own family as to not spread the disease. Do not travel. Don’t get on an airplane, a train, bus. Only travel via your vehicle or an ambulance. When you are coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve. Don’t use your hands. You will touch other things with your hands. Use the crook of your elbow, use your sleeve in order to do that or a tissue. And then again, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and carry and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Bryan Strawser: There’s a lot of misinformation out there about novel coronavirus, particularly on Facebook and Twitter from non-government entities. Individuals who are spreading fake news for lack of a better term. The places to go to get the information I think are pretty simple. You can look at the World Health Organization website. They have a novel coronavirus information page and they have daily situational reports which will tell you what’s happening around the world. It’s fair to say perhaps some of that information that’s being reported by other countries may not be 100% accurate. I know there’s a lot of questions about China’s motivation to share or not share, be transparent or not be transparent about what’s happening with novel coronavirus but the WHO, the World Health Organization has good information on their website. It’s worth looking at. The Centers for Disease Control here in the United States also has a novel coronavirus information page.
Bryan Strawser: It tells you a lot about what the outbreak looks like here in the United States and actions that the US government and state and local governments are taking. Another great source for information that’s giving you facts about what’s going on and what to do. And then if you’re in the United Kingdom or you want to get more of a European centric point of view, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service has a novel coronavirus information page and the Cabinet at Number 10 Downing Street on the United Kingdom government website also has a novel coronavirus information page and then lastly you can get a copy of our intelligence and threat briefing. It’s completely free. There will be a link in the show notes to obtain that or you can go to our website at bryghtpath.com and follow the link under resources to white papers and you’ll find our free intelligence and threat briefing there.
Bryan Strawser: It has links to all of this information that I just outlined. Whenever we update it’ll be posted there. We have a number of links in the document to other news coverage. We have our recommended travel restrictions based on the information and we have a number of actions and decisions for consideration in the appendix that cover several pages of ideas about things that you may want to consider within your own business. The most important thing with novel coronavirus is to understand that it is a significant threat right now.
Bryan Strawser: It is something that you want to pay attention to if you source from Asia, if your company involves in any international travel or if you’re sourcing from other countries or you’re reliant upon service providers who operate or are headquartered in these other countries. It’s of particular importance of course if you travel or directly operate in those countries. Make sure you’re operating off of factual government based information and as always, you can contact us at any time for assistance or get clear, factual information about what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: That’s it for this edition of the Managing Uncertainty podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode.
In this week’s edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, our first for 2020, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the recent drone strikes carried out against Iranian aligned unconventional forces, militia, and government officials by the United States – with a focus on steps that businesses that operate in the region – and globally – should consider as tensions rise and escalations occur in retaliation.
Topics discussed include intelligence, monitoring threats, freedom of navigation, travel safety & security, soft target protection, detecting pre-attack surveillance, and other measures that companies should take.
Editorial Note Despite knowing the proper pronunciation of Qasem Soleimani’s name, I pronounced it incorrectly multiple times during this episode. My apologies for my error. — Bryan
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #76: BryghtCast for the week of October 7th, 2019 * Episode #78: BryghtCast for the week of October 14th, 2019 * Blog Post: Top 12 Global Risks of 2018
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath, and I’m running solo again today. We’re here to talk about Iran and the Middle East. Given recent events that have occurred over the last couple of weeks throughout Iraq and Iran and the involvement of the United States admitted, confirmed involvement of the United States on a drone strike killing an Iranian official near the Baghdad airport about a week ago.
Bryan Strawser: I’m sure you’re familiar with the details of the incident, but to back up a little bit, there has been for a number of months, years even in Iraq, a number of attacks on United States military interest throughout the region that have connectivity back to the unconventional forces of the government of Iran. These unconventional forces in many cases, were the Quds Force, Q-U-D-S, and the commanding general of the Quds Force. Quds is the unconventional warfare arm of the Iranian military and intelligence apparatus. The commanding general was Major General Suleimani and a week ago as he was leaving the Baghdad airport in a three-vehicle convoy with some allies of his, no Iraqi government officials but Aronian allies that operate within Iraq, his convoy was struck by a series of missiles fired from a U.S. Government Reaper drone, a more modern version of the predator.
Bryan Strawser: Killed in this drone strike were General Suleimani along with some local allies as how I’d outlined before. It took a little bit of time, a few hours before this was confirmed, and then a few more hours for the United States to announce that they had made the drone striking, accepting responsibility for the strike. In addition in the following days, but the United States executed a number of other strikes, some of which our government has confirmed, some of which have not been confirmed as well as a special operation in Yemen that attempted to capture one of our top 20 wanted terrorists who was another close ally of the Iranian unconventional forces, the Quds Forces.
Bryan Strawser: Now, the geopolitics with all of this are super complex. They go back centuries in some cases and certainly some of it goes back to the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. There’s some very strongly held differences of opinion between the two countries but the important part here is there’s just no mistaking that the United States’ decision to strike General Suleimani was a very significant event in terms of the current conflict in the Middle East. And General Suleimani was a leading strategist for unconditional warfare, he played a very significant role in the Middle East as the Quds Force and the Iranian government has been involved with Hamas, with Hezbollah and with other unaffiliated groups that are aligned with the government of Iran, like Iranian militias that operate in Iraq and Yemen and elsewhere. And you could connect, and the United States certainly believes this in terms of the intelligence that they have published, they believe that we could connect General Suleimani to hundreds of deaths of American servicemen and women in Iraq and else his other actions against the United States, Israel, and other allies throughout the Middle East.
Bryan Strawser: So there’ll be almost certainly will be escalations and we’ve already seen some of this as a result of the decision to make this strike. And with all of that as background, what I want to focus on is what we always talk about here on the podcast, which is what American businesses and other businesses operating in the Middle East, and throughout the world, that might be impacted. What should we do in order to make sure that our people are safe, that our business operations are secure and that we’re prepared for what may come in the future in terms of retaliation and escalation from this attack?
Bryan Strawser: First, I think it’s important to point out the likelihood of an actual conventional war that would occur between the United States and its allies and Iran and its allies, is highly, highly unlikely. It’s unlikely for a couple of reasons. The first is that although Iran has significant military capability, perhaps has evolved nuclear weapons or may have some other weapons of mass destruction and Iran has a large inactive military, the United States remains the world’s really only superpower and the Leviathan as Thomas P.M. Barnett refers to, the Leviathan of the United States military would probably make short work of the country of Iran and its military forces if necessary. But I think there’s also the other side of this which is that Iran is playing a long game of chess here and hoping that the United States is not playing a strategy game of chess in return. Iran’s approach to the United States since the 1970’s when the current government took over from the Shah of Iran, and there was the Iranian revolution and they seized the United States embassy, their approach has been almost entirely to engage in a series of unconventional warfare campaigns that impact the United States and our allies.
Bryan Strawser: So, I don’t think you’re going to see head-on conventional military conflict between the two countries. I think what we will see is unconventional warfare, and I want to start that by saying that one of the likely areas that we’re going to see from Iran will be the use of cyber attacks of various types in order to disrupt United States government interests and private sector interests throughout the world. Though they will most certainly be targeting the United States and our allies and part of that will be impacting the business community and I think we’ll see that first in the cyber domain. Iran has significant offensive cyber warfare capability. They are one of the countries that U.S. Cyber Command talks about as being a significant threat along with Russia and China and North Korea and they’re a significant threat with significant capability. So cyber is one area where we’re going to see that.
Bryan Strawser: The second area where I think we’re going to see risk, the areas that are most at risk, are going to be the military targets that are in the region. And we’ve already seen some of that with a missile strike on U.S. bases launch from Iran. These are bases that the United States operates inside the country of Iraq. We saw that within a few days of the drone strike on Suleimani and I believe we’re going to continue to see those types of unconventional attacks on United States interests in Iraq for at least as long as we’re there.
Bryan Strawser: The third area of risk is ocean traffic that is moving in the Persian Gulf, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz where Iran has previously, as recently as July, seized Western flagged ships. They seized a couple of ships that carried United Kingdom flags, which just means they’re kind of homeported or registered with that country, but they’ve taken other actions over the years to engage militarily across the Persian Gulf. They shot down the United States drone and some other attacks over the last 20 or 30 years have occurred there. The United Kingdom since July has been organizing protective missions for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has also been involved in supporting that mission and I believe there are some other NATO and EU countries that have participated in this as well.
Bryan Strawser: The area of greatest concern in the region from our standpoint and in real area of concern globally are our soft targets. Here we’re talking about business interests, civilian populations, and would almost think about this as something that should be looked at as kind of concentric levels of risk. We think the closer that we are to the Persian gulf, the more challenges and more risk that can be seen and the farther out that you are geographically then the less risk that there are. Certainly, businesses that operate close in or in the Middle East are likely at the greatest risk. We believe the secondary risk is in Europe of both Eastern and Western Europe, and then we get into some farther afield targets even here in the United States. The way to think about the geographic risk here is that civilian populations that are massing in areas in the Middle East or in Europe and then in the United States are possible soft targets. Think about these indirect attacks like shopping malls and sporting events, movie theaters, large public gatherings, large public events, as being places that should really consider their level of soft target protection. In this time of this kind of global uncertainty, what other measures should be taken in those areas, for example, here in Minnesota, the Mall of America has long been talked about as a significant terrorist target of opportunity, and I know that the security team there who does a lot of things both seen and unseen, likely took steps, I don’t know for sure, but I would predict that they took steps in response to Iran’s vows of escalation and revenge following General Suleimani’s death at the hands of U.S. Forces.
Bryan Strawser: We haven’t seen too many of these kinds of soft attacks coming from a foreign aligned group here in the United States but I will take you back to a few years ago in San Bernardino, California, where two individuals that had come to the country and had been radicalized, kind of align themselves with the ISIS/ISIL movement, a man and his wife committed a mass shooting of his co-workers at a county worker gathering in San Bernardino, and then engaged in a running gun battle with local state and federal law enforcement. Ultimately that resulted in their deaths and the subsequent investigation pointed to their close alignment with ISIS acting on their own in a lone wolf manner, but having been radicalized through the Internet and other encounters that they had had. So these kinds of attacks, certainly Iran is not publishing the kind of self radicalizing material that ISIS did on the internet, but this type of attack on a soft target is still a strong possibility. And this is the kind of campaign that the Quds Force really focused on, these unconventional attacks on softer targets throughout the world.
Bryan Strawser: So what should companies do? Well, first is just to continue to monitor the threat. We want to make sure that you’re looking at the news, you’re looking at information from the U.S. State Department, from groups like OSAC, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, at the state department. If you’re an FBI InfraGard member, you’ll have access to some information there, certainly, some information that’ll be more physical and cybersecurity-focused. These are things we want to make sure we’re monitoring the threat that we understand what might be at risk for us as this situation continues to evolve. When you think about your soft target protection, really think about how can you engage in efforts to detect pre-attack surveillance. That almost always happens in some of these attacks. There’s an attempt to surveil the target and understand the points of weakness and opportunity that they could use to strike.
Bryan Strawser: I think companies should look at their travel safety and security policies, how you’re monitoring geopolitical risk and what your approach is to travel in the Middle East. Do you have contingency plans for operations and business travel in the area and do you feel like in your worst-case scenario that could happen here in terms of a soft target attack or an unconventional attack on some forces where you happen to have facilities or may have travelers nearby, what does that approach look like? Certainly would look at what you’re training the teams too that are traveling to these areas, but also looking strongly at what’s your capacity, whether organic to your organization or through a third-party service to get folks out if the situation escalates. And again, we want to make sure that you’re monitoring current events and taking appropriate actions to protect your team and your assets and your business operations.
Bryan Strawser: So, hopefully, that gives you a little bit of background on the situation following the killing of General Suleimani by the United States, what that might mean for your business operations. Again, if there’s anything we can help you within these areas here at Bryghtpath, we’d be happy to chat about that. Give us a call anytime at 612-235-6435 or drop us an email at contact@bryghtpath.com. That’s it for this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode. Thanks for listening.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser takes an informal look forward to 2020 and the potential risks that are just around the corner.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #26: The Top 12 Global Risks of 2018 * Blog Post: The Top 12 Global Risks of 2018
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath and this is our final episode for 2019. I’m recording this on Monday, December 30th you’re going to hear this later in the day. I am running solo today as it’s quite a snowfall going on here in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. But I wanted to take a moment and just provide a little bit of a look ahead to 2020. I believe we’re going to do a more formal kind of preview of the coming year with both Bray and I. But I wanted to hit on a couple of things that are on our mind as we turn the calendar here in a couple of days to 2020 and wrap up the decade of the 2010s and look forward to the decade of the 2020s.
Bryan Strawser: The first thing that is on my mind as we head into 2020 is that here in the United States at least this is a presidential election year. In addition to that, all of the United States Congress is up for election along with a third of the United States senate. So this is going to bring all of the inherent politics that come along with a situation in a calendar year like this, a presidential election year. I think it’s also, just given that our society has become more and more partisan and certainly has become, I think, a little more rancorous with the current presidents and they both support and opposition for President Trump’s policies, that’s going to be a pretty pivotal issue in the news and how businesses and individuals react in the year to come.
Bryan Strawser: The second and one that we’ve talked about frequently on our BryghtCast podcast and in previous episodes, in previous reviews that we’ve done of coming years, and talking about the top global risks, is that we appear to have come to the final decision when it comes to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union or Brexit. That was settled pretty much in the election that occurred in Britain just a few weeks ago. Brexit, the Brexit implementation bill has passed the UK parliament. We’re going to see that breakup occur, it looks like at the end of January, 2020, although that date may move around.
Bryan Strawser: But really next year in terms of Brexit, not only will Brexit be implemented but now it’s time for the real negotiation, and the real negotiation is, what will the relationship be between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the years to come? And there is a lot of negotiation, a lot of issues that need to be discussed and decided in the coming weeks and months. And that will have global economic implications, it’ll have implications for EU citizens that live in the United Kingdom today. It looks like they’ll be allowed to stay through a immigration scheme that is being developed and will be implemented. But there’s a lot of uncertainty about what this is going to look like, and Brexit will certainly be on the minds of all of us who are thinking about uncertainty and disruption in 2020.
Bryan Strawser: The third big one here in the United States at least, is that the auctions for the 5G wireless bands, wireless frequencies will go up for auction sometime in 2020 or 2021. Many States have passed implementing regulations around this. But the big thing is when the United States government goes to sell the actual bandwidth, goes to sell the actual frequencies and the 5G licenses that go along with that. That’ll be a big deal. 5G is a significant improvement over 4G and 4G LTE, and we will see billions of dollars likely be spent during the 5G auctions to bring 5G to life.
Bryan Strawser: The fourth area that’s on my mind as we go into 2020 is about recreational marijuana. We expect that recreational marijuana legalization will continue to move across the United States. It’s certainly a big topic of discussion here in Minnesota in our upcoming legislative session. We’ve seen legalization occur in several States, with, depending upon who you talk to, success or failure, which I think really goes back to just some political bent of the individuals involved. But we continue to believe that this will be an important legislative item in the months and years to come, and I think it has significant security implications for organizations, like what does this really mean in terms of drug screening and your employment base, particularly if you’re in a regulated industry where federal law governs this area more so than State law? And here I’m specifically thinking about the financial services industry, healthcare, law enforcement and others.
Bryan Strawser: Our fifth look going into 2020 is that the strife between Hong Kong and China will continue. We expect that it will become more violent on both the part of protesters and by law enforcement or intelligence agencies operating in Hong Kong, and also that China will become more authoritarian over time in Hong Kong. There are some treaty restrictions on China that I believe end 2047 in terms of changing Hong Kong basic law, but I don’t believe that China is going to wait before they take more authoritarian steps, whether that’s approved through a legal framework in Hong Kong or not, we expect that disruption will continue. Businesses that operate in Hong Kong, or have ex-pats in Hong Kong, or who travel to Hong Kong will need to continue to evaluate the situation on the ground and take the right steps for continuity of operations and safety and security of their personnel and their families as necessary.
Bryan Strawser: We believe that cybersecurity will continue to be a major focus and a major area of concern by chief executive officers of organizations and by directors and others who lead nonprofit organizations. We don’t believe that the cyber threat is going to be any less in the years to come. It will continue to be a significant area of focus. It will continue to have a significant reputational impact for organizations that suffer a state of breach or cybersecurity incidents, as the result of the lack of trust that goes along with that. We don’t see this threat diminishing. In fact, we think it will continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing organizations.
Bryan Strawser: Back in 2018, the beginning of 2018 as we forecast the top global risks for the calendar year 2018, there were three technologies that we saw as being on the rise that we believe will continue to rise in importance and focus in 2020, and those are automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Automation in that finding ways for machines or computers to automate work that’s currently being done by humans. I can’t tell you the number of areas in our business alone where automation has come into play in an intelligent manner, a rules-based manner, and then moving more towards an artificial intelligence type of situation. And robotics is similar, that robotics will continue to, in some cases replace work that is being done by humans.
Bryan Strawser: I think these three areas of technology, automation, robotics, and AI, all are ones that companies and individuals should be monitoring. Companies from the standpoint of these are areas where they might gain efficiency and improve productivity, but also that by becoming more reliant upon technologies, the potential disruption can increase. And from a personal or professional standpoint, if you’re a worker who is in one of the fields that could be most heavily impacted by automation and artificial intelligence, that you’re thinking about how this might have an impact on you, and that you’re thinking about how to adjust your skills and gain new skills now rather than the two or three years down the road before this may have a bigger impact in your industry.
Bryan Strawser: I think just a personal example, one thing that I’ve seen this year as I’ve talked with clients, and I’ve toured sites, and I’ve gone to trade shows, and I’ve talked to the leaders in these areas, seeing where security robotics has evolved over the last couple of years from say five years ago where I first saw an autonomous security robot that was patrolling a single-story building at the ASIS Global Security Exchange Show in Chicago back in September, I saw my first robot that could navigate between floors, that was tied to a centralized global security operations center where they can interact with acumen via the robot, where it could access your access card data, it could do facial recognition, it could recognize what was happening around it, it could create different effects based upon the rules that it was given or programmed or learned over time. These are all fascinating increases in technology, but again, it poses rest for both individuals and companies.
Bryan Strawser: And then just lastly, that we expect to global uncertainty to continue. We expect that it will be more risky, so to speak. There’ll be more risk in your operations in 2020 than there were in 2019. We don’t believe that that will continue. We don’t believe that will decline anytime soon. From our standpoint, we live in highly uncertain times. The rule sets that once governed how the world interacts have changed before our very eyes this year, and as we’ve said before, remain very unsettled, they remain very unsettled these rule sets.
Bryan Strawser: Companies that wish to continue their success in the year ahead are going to take the right actions to ensure their resilience against disruption. We should have a clear-eyed view of the threats and risks around us. Companies should continue to invest in their robust crisis management capability and ensure that they have well-practiced plans that can be implemented when the critical moment is upon their organization.
Bryan Strawser: Again, this is our final episode for 2019. We wish you great luck and much success in the year ahead. Thanks for listening.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Consultant Bray Wheeler, discuss the need to “over-respond”, in a manner of speaking, but not overreacting – when it comes to establishing your crisis management framework and your own importance as a leader within your organization.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #1: Shouldn’t we have a plan for alien invasion? * Episode #23: Crisis Management is not a pickup game * Episode #47: A crisis team is not an academic debating society
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath.
Bray Wheeler: This is Barry Wheeler consultant here at Bryghtpath.
Bryan Strawser: You know, I like to think that everybody belongs to a couple of different tribes in their lives. And I don’t mean like real tribes but like the tribe of career or community that you’ve joined. And I’ve got the whole crisis management and business continuity communities and global security. And I’m Catholic, so I’ve got my Catholic tribe kind of thing. But I’ve-
Bray Wheeler: Red Sox Nation.
Bryan Strawser: Red Sox Nation, absolutely. And the Patriots and the Bruins. The Celtics. But you know, one of my tribes is a… I was never a firefighter, but I worked in law enforcement. So I kind of think of that as a tribe. And I’m an EMT, and I wasn’t EMT in the past and I am again now. And I think of that as my tribe. And when we were thinking about this podcast today, What we were going to talk about, over-responding but not overreacting, I was reminded of what very little I know about the fire service. And that is when there’s a fire of some type, there’s a set response.
Bryan Strawser: So a residential fire in Roseville, Minnesota is going to result in two engine companies, a ladder company and a BLS unit and a chief, the battalion chief, going to that. And what that first engine in, the officer on that engine or the chief, if they get there before the apparatus, which is unlikely, the first thing they do is a size up where they walk around the incident. They take a look at it and they’re making an instantaneous decision on calling for more resources, or I have what I need to handle this.
Bryan Strawser: And that call for resources is usually a little ahead of the actual need. They look at it and they’re like, well, I’ve got like two houses nearby. I’m going to have to mitigate against those homes catching on fire. And I know that has a term in the fire service. I don’t remember what it is. But they’re going to try to protect these two houses and he’s going to need another two engine companies to do that. They’re going to make that decision. So they’re not… They’re responding, but they’re also kind of over-responding a bit because they’re looking at, well, I might need this and might need this. I’m going to call for these units now.
Bray Wheeler: Well, and typically EMS may be en route. Police may be en route. So you have a lot of different emergency services kind of collapsing on that location to-
Bryan Strawser: Power and gas.
Bray Wheeler: Power and gas. … to make sure that the right amount of resources had been applied to that situation or are on standby, to your point. Kind of waiting or starting to get into the trucks and ready to go.
Bray Wheeler: So, yeah. It’s really, I think, where kind of his mantra comes from is really off of that metaphor. And when we think about crises or incidents, things like that, you really want… There’s kind of a fine line that organizations typically walk between that kind of over-respond and overreact. And where you, where you definitely want to be is on that kind of over-respond side of the house, rather than the overreacted thing for a lot of different reasons.
Bray Wheeler: Because I think what ends up happening is if you tend to drift towards that overreact, or you have people that kind of get worked up easily, they’re a little bit more apt to kind of stress the environment out. Kind of overplay what’s actually happening. All probably with good intentions, well-intentioned kind of reactions, but still complicating the response. You’re creating stress. You’re damaging the reputation of kind of the people and the process and those teams, cross-functional teams that you stood up, your plans, all that kind of stuff.
Bray Wheeler: Seems like, I don’t know if that’s really the right approach because everybody gets worked up and stressed out and it’s… I don’t really like it. You know, I don’t feel comfortable. I don’t want to play in that space. So I think where you want to be very conscious of making that distinction is in that over-respond, and it’s almost a cultural thing, and it’s almost something that you tell your leadership, you tell the cross-functional team, you tell key leaders and resources within the company that says, Hey, our default is going to be to over-respond to something. We’re not going to overreact, but we’re going to over-respond. This means you might get pulled into conversations, you may get asked to do some things kind of at the outset, but we’re going to assess this situation and determine do we still need that amount of resources? Do we still need the full cross-functional teams? Do we only need three teams? You know, what is going on and let’s apply the right amount of resources.
Bray Wheeler: Because I think that’s part of the value that you get about over-responding is you’re applying that right amount of resources to the situation. But you’re also building that muscle memory and that confidence within the cross-functional team that says, Hey, we’re getting used to seeing these incidents. We’re getting used to identifying what is severe, what’s not severe, what’s developing, what’s not developing. And especially for a young, or kind of fresh cross-functional team, it’s super important that there’s as much exposure to some of that stuff as possible so that people get a feel for what’s important and what’s not.
Bray Wheeler: But it also kind of demonstrates the value proposition that these plans and cross-functional teams have in an organization. That, within the broader organization, they see it as, Hey, they’re stood up to react to the fire that’s happening in the organization and they’re consistently doing that. It’s not, Oh, they picked this one but not this one and what are they really doing? I think this one’s important. Why aren’t they doing anything? That there is that, Hey, we’re going to search and response each time and we’re going to assess it based on what we know at the outset and as more people get in the room and say, Hey, I also have this. I have this. Nope, I don’t have any impact. I don’t have any impact. I don’t have any impact. You can really kind of surge response to that and you get a better picture of what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I think that the kind of the impetus for the idea behind this episode was something Bray and I had experienced a couple of months back and that was we had a client who has a crisis management process. A very well defined one I think. But they rarely use it. I think they’ve really kind of put themselves in a place where they don’t want to activate that except in the worst-case scenario. As opposed to what we were seeing, which was they had your best-case scenario for a crisis in that you have a weather system coming in that you can see and predict and react to. And they were asking a lot of questions of a bunch of different people, like what’s this going to do and are you looking at your plans?
Bryan Strawser: And we were just chatting casually with our client and I said, well, why don’t you just activate your crisis process? Just use your crisis process. Convene your crisis management team and let’s have an open conversation with you leading it, facilitating it, about this situation that you find yourself in. With this severe weather system coming in. Actually it was two severe weather systems coming into two different geographical locations that could potentially have really disrupted some operations just because of the weather. Winter weather in one case and hurricane typhoon like the weather in another case.
Bryan Strawser: So let’s talk about that openly and let’s put you in the middle of that as the crisis leader. As we said in the previous episode, let’s make yourself important in the middle of this and use your crisis process to have this conversation. Because now you’ve activated it so you’re getting the benefit of that muscle memory of having worked through it. And two, you’re having this open broad conversation amongst a group of middle to senior leaders about what’s going on and you’re in the middle of it. I thought it was just a great positioning for them. And out of this conversation about having this happen is Bray looks at me and goes, well we want to over-respond, not overreact. And that’s where we kind of find ourselves in this conversation on the podcast.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. Because even in that conversation there was some apprehension of wow, you know, it doesn’t really… Kind of hemming and hawing. It doesn’t really meet the criteria or you know, ah, that seems like it’s too much. It’s not too much. If you’ve communicated that out to this team, which should be pretty close or developing those close bonds is a kind of a cross-functional team in those relationships, if you say at the outset, Hey, we’re going to get together more often than not, and we’re going to do it in a kind of organized manner, and we’re going to appropriate appropriately react.
Bray Wheeler: You know, if we have an active shooter, well that’s probably something that we’re going to jump into relatively quickly. Stress is going to be relatively up. But if it’s a weather system, why aren’t we getting together and evaluating that kind of in the same way, but without the kind of natural stress that’s happening with that situation. Because it, to your point, it positions the function. It positions that incident leader, that capability, in front of people and lets them see how this process works so that you’re developing that muscle memory and that practice and that comfortability with the process in some of these things that might be a little bit more low stress. So when you do get into the higher stress situations, when you jump into that… Hopefully not, but if you should happen to jump into an active shooter situation, you understand what the… You’re not fighting the process or the understanding of the process. You’re able to kind of jump in and kind of understand what’s going on and just start working the problem rather than trying to understand how you should go about working the problem.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I mean I think it’s a chance to use your process the way your process was intended to be used.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Right? I mean you’re using those things that you’ve outlined as a part of your plan, your framework, to bring that team together and evaluate the situation the way that your process was intended for that to work.
Bray Wheeler: And it can be one of those things to where it can be kind of the standard way that you operate is that you’re going to react to… Say you have four levels of severity. You probably shouldn’t be reacting to the lowest level. Say that’s level four. Level one’s the highest. You probably shouldn’t be convening at a level four. Probably shouldn’t be convening at a level three. But, say, for every level two, we are going to convene, and we’re going to evaluate to see does is this serious enough that we need to apply resources? Is there anybody in the room that can help? Or do we feel like it’s trending still upward and it may reach that one, and we need to prepare ourselves?
Bray Wheeler: You may also be in a situation where for a while because you’re new, say, you know what, for the first year we’re going to convene for every level three and up so that we can get comfortable, we can talk through, we can start to mature ourselves. And maybe halfway through the year you say, you know what, every level two. Or you know, at a certain point you’re, you’re mature enough and say, Hey, we don’t need to convene all the time. We have enough institutional knowledge, enough practice, enough kind of relationship credibility with each other that we don’t need to convene as much anymore. We can back that off just a little bit and say we’re going to send out some communications around a level two. That’s going to be the expectation, is everybody’s going to get awareness to level two, and we’re going to convene kind of when the incident leader thinks of that business leader thinks.
Bray Wheeler: So there are different degrees in which you can kind of over-respond, overreact, and some of that is a maturity thing and some of it’s kind of how culturally you should work. But at the very least, especially if you’re a new kind of cross-functional team or you’ve had high turnover or something like that, over-responding is more beneficial than not enough response because, again, we get back into the issues of I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know who people are. What’s happening? On top of, Hey, I need to solve this problem. And that’s where you probably tend to get more people going rogue or doing their own thing. But if you’re over-responding, you’re forcing people into the process and that framework that you’ve designed.
Bryan Strawser: The way you want things to be done.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Yes. I remember early in my career leading crisis management that I was faced with kind of a similar situation and I wasn’t thinking of it in this way, but there were a number of protests going on across the country because of some political issue. And this crisis, so to speak, was being handled primarily by communications because it was viewed as a reputational problem. But these protests were disruptive and the comps team wasn’t communicated in the way that we did. There wasn’t clear direction being given to teams. And I was in my boss’s office complaining about this, like what do we do? And he just looks at me and goes, what do you mean what did we do? You have a crisis management process. You can activate and take… You’re not really taking control, but you can at least coordinate this response across the company to a growing disruption and send communication out through your defined communication processes that that is not happening today.
Bryan Strawser: So just activate it. And I’m like, why? Why would we do that? It’s a protest. He goes, it’s a disruption. Activate it. So I went grumbling down the hall and I’m like, wait a minute, if I do this then we’re going to have calls to coordinate what’s going on. Everyone’s going to speak openly and we’re going to get good cross-functional collaboration. We’re going to be sending out a communication to everyone about what’s happening on a regular cadence and stores are going to get direction. Why did I think of us? So by the time I got to my office, I was like, okay, let’s activate.
Bray Wheeler: The wise mind had kicked in?
Bryan Strawser: The wise mind had kicked in. But like this is a… The example of that was entirely an… It was definitely an… It was not an overreaction, but it was definitely an over-response in that this was a minor disruption to the organization, but it cleaned up our response in 24 hours. Like all of a sudden everyone knew what was going on. The action communication to the field organization was clear, and all of the stakeholders and partners that needed to know had clear communication of what was happening.
Bray Wheeler: And that’s a great example of the benefits of that over response is hopefully what it does is well, kind of a byproduct, is it cleans up those secondary incidents that may occur. So if you watch response to something that’s relatively inconsequential, but the way you handle the response becomes the crisis, people are upset about how you went about it, well, that’s not the initial crisis, but it’s definitely the new secondary emerging crisis out of that. And so hopefully what that over response does is it cleans it up. It, to your example, forces everybody into the room and organizes that response so that it’s clear and you don’t have folks doing their own thing, creating other issues.
Bray Wheeler: All those gaps and issues are known kind of within this organization and can be either addressed immediately or say, you know what, we’re parking lighting that. We’ll come back to it. We’re not-
Bryan Strawser: Sticking in the parking lot.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah, we’re not super worried about that at the moment. We’ll come back.
Bryan Strawser: And I think there’s a lot of connectivity on this topic to our previous episode, episode 86 about making yourself important. And this is episode 87 now. But there’s a lot of connectivity because I think that this kind of the similar thought process that we were talking about last week, that you have to make your function important and you have to be willing to put yourself out there as a leader to drive the results that your team is looking for and to make sure your team has the tools and resources and authority to do the things that you want them to do.
Bryan Strawser: I think it’s closely connected to this. Your willingness to use your processes or maybe bend your processes a little bit to get the outcome that you’re trying to achieve for your organization. I think it is about this. I’m going to leverage this process as best I can. I’m going to… And I’m making myself important by making this process stick in this situation.
Bray Wheeler: When I think where it comes back to kind of callback to other episodes too, is when we’ve talked about kind of characteristics of crisis leaders and things like that. This is where these characteristics and that right person or persons in that incident leader role come into play so critically on kind of walking this line. Because if you have somebody who’s not very good at it, can get a little bit too emotional, again, with all the positive intent in the world, but if they come across as overreacting to the situation, now you’ve essentially done harm to the process and the capability that you’re trying to build.
Bray Wheeler: So it’s really important that you find that right person or persons that walk that line of, Hey, I want to be clear. We’re over-responding, not overreacting. We are applying this process to see if we need to do more if everybody has what they need if there’s any coordination we can help assist with. Great. Do we feel like the severity is appropriate? You know, our thresholds, do they match kind of where we think this is at? Great. They do? Does nobody need anything? Great. Then we will stand this process back up should we need it? Do you know?
Bray Wheeler: So it’s really walking that line and that’s where some of those characteristics we talked about in that previous episode come into play of why you really need to walk that line of and being clear around, we’re over-responding, not overreacting. Overreacting gets us in trouble. Over responding may inconvenience a few people from some meetings, but probably isn’t going to do any harm to the organization.
Bryan Strawser: Right. So I think we’ve covered the topic here pretty well. Again, if you haven’t listened to our previous episode about making yourself important, there’s a lot of core correlation between the two. Definitely worth your time to hear episode 85. But with that, let’s wrap up episode 86.
We’ll have a new episode next week. Thanks for listening.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Consultant Bray Wheeler, revisit the topic of Active Shooter Preparedness & Exercises.
Topics discussed include the current active shooter threat, preparedness efforts, active shooter exercises, planning for an active shooter incident, and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Managing Uncertainty – Episode #5: Leading during an Active Shooter Incident * Blog Post: Active Shooter Training – Management Essentials * Bryghtpath’s Active Shooter Programs & Services * Free Intro Course: Active Shooter 101 * Bryghtpath Case Study: Protecting Employees Through Planning and Exercises for Active Shooter Incidents * Bryghtpath Case Study: C-Level Active Shooter Exercise for a Major Utility Company * Crisis Playbook: Active Shooter Plan
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive here at Bryghtpath.
Bray Wheeler: I’m Bray Wheeler. I’m a Consultant here at Bryghtpath.
Bryan Strawser: And today, we want to talk a little bit about kind of rethinking active shooter preparedness and exercises. And I would say there’s a couple things that kind of stirred this conversation, and I know we’ve done a couple previous episodes on active shooter preparedness and maybe even exercises, and I certainly know we have an episode about leading through an active shooter incident that recorded with Jennifer Otremba and Lindsay Bradford who both used to work here at Bryghtpath, both of whom were with Bray and I on the day that we had a active shooter situation at our former employer, across the street from our offices, that we kind of manage through, and we’ll link that episode in the show notes, it’s worth listening to.
Bryan Strawser: But what prompted this are really two things. There’s been a number of articles recently about after shooter drills or exercises that I thought were not well done and garnered a lot of negative press, and this is where we’ve got police running an exercise where they’re shooting people with airsoft guns and they’re firing off blanks and some other things, and so we want to talk a little bit about that and what makes a good active shooter exercise, particularly for students in the K-12 environment and workers in your organization’s facilities. But the other thing we want to just touch on is just some other thoughts on active shooter preparedness that have come out of the incidents that have happened in the last few months, the Santa Clarita school shooting that happened last week, Walmart’s mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, the Dayton, Ohio bar entertainment area shooting incidents. There’s been some lessons learned out of this that I think are worth talking about in terms of preparedness. So that brings us to bringing this episode together.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. One. And that’s, I think to your point, kind of the distinction here is a little bit around, we have talked about exercises on previous podcasts, but really, this one is around, I think more so, who the audience is, the kind of the intended audience of exercises and/or drills and kind of the impact that, that you want to have on those distinct audiences that the airsoft, the Nerf guns, the blanks, the blue pistols, the red rubber pistols, things like that, have audiences but may not fit every audience. And it’s important to create the distinction around what your intended objective and purpose of the exercise or drill is for that audience because it these situations, it matters in terms of how they act and how they behave and what you’re really trying to prepare them for.
Bryan Strawser: I think most of the articles we’ve seen recently about active shooter exercises that have frustrated us have been in the K-12 education environment where you usually have some kind of statutory requirement that the schools conduct some type of drill on a regular basis. For example, here in Minnesota, school districts have to do five lockdown drills. That’s literally what they’re called in the state statute, five lockdown drills, in the course of a school year. So if you think, a school year is about 180 days, on average, 180 student days, then you’re going to run a lockdown drill five times, that’s pretty frequent in there. And so I think this is a good example of what Bray was just speaking to. What’s the audience, what is the audience of this drill? And I should point out too, since these are lockdown drills, not active shooter drills, the statute here in Minnesota was written in response at Columbine, which was 20 years ago, and it hasn’t been updated. Despite some more recent attempts to modernize that, it has not been changed. So it still says lockdown drills, which that’s what’s most schools are doing.
Bryan Strawser: But the current guidance on active shooter that seems to be most broadly accepted is the FBI, DHS guidance, and that is run, hide, fight. But Minnesota schools are using lockdown. So there’s a challenge with that in and of itself. But who’s the intended audience of a drill like this?
Bray Wheeler: One, if we’re talking about the K-12 audience, which is probably where we’ll center most of the discussion on, I mean, really, that audience is not, you’re not prepping that audience to address the shooter kind of directly like you’re asking law enforcement to do. So the drills and the exercises that you’re asking law enforcement to do should be very different from what you’re asking K-12 students to do. And a lot of that is around making them feel kind of confident and empowered in terms of knowing what to do when a situation necessitates in a swift evacuation, a kind of locked down of a facility of whatever that circumstance is. And I think, we teach stop, drop and roll, we teach a lot of these different things for different incidents and issues, this happens to be kind of reality today that this type of drill, this type of exercise is necessary, but it doesn’t always, and I think, kind of my train of thought around it is, yes, it’s spurred off of kind of these active shooters, but really, this applies to any incident.
Bray Wheeler: You could have a situation in which toxic gases released from a poor science experiment or something breaks in the chemistry department and it’s wafting through the school, you got to get people out, and that’s just as confusing, that’s just as nerve wracking. There could be a fire, there could be all sorts of different situations that’s not necessarily an active shooter that you want that student audience, that staff audience to know this is what happens when we’re given this direction and we know that we’re doing these three, four, five basic things and we’re going to prepare, position ourselves to be as safe as possible.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I mean, I think, one of the points that kind of stood out in some discussion that was happening towards the tail end of last week about the intended audience of a drill in the K-12 education environment is not someone who’s engaged in a tactical response, right? We’re not testing armed staff, we’re not drilling the law enforcement response. The purpose of an active shooter drill where students are involved is to give the students the muscle memory to do the things that we need them to do if this actually happens. And we were talking about this prior to the coming in the studio and doing the show today, you brought up that sometimes, that response isn’t necessarily just for active shooter, it’s because we have to be evacuated, it’s because there’s a chemical spill.
Bryan Strawser: So those are, I think, are, we lose the fact, we lose who the audience is sometimes when we start talking about this. I would argue, if that’s our focus, I want to help 500 students get out of the school in a run, hide, fight situation because of an active shooter, then bringing in screaming sounds and gunshots and shooting people with airsoft guns, that is not the intent of the exercise. The intent of the exercise is to teach them how to run, hide, fight.
Bray Wheeler: Because you’re all doing in that situation is, it’s a desensitization or desensitizing them, objective. And I think that’s where, politically, that’s where the conversation gets a little kind of tough with folks and there’s that debate. But that place there is not, to your point, to do those things. We’re not trying to desensitize them to that environment that they would have to operate in. That’s the tactical environment. That’s what you expect law enforcement or school security teams or something like that, that’s where they’re… that’s what you’re putting them through so that they can accomplish their objective in the face of those things for students and probably majority of staff. It’s to prepare them to keep themselves safe, whether that’s get out, barricade, fight back if they have to. Really, what you’re trying to get them to do probably first is to get out or barricade, and that’s fight being last resort or direct confrontation.
Bray Wheeler: Probably don’t have to spend as much resources there because hopefully, natural instinct takes over just a little bit, but if you’re focused on getting as many people out as possible, then that’s really what that objective of these drills and exercises should be is to get folks out or get themselves in a position to barricade. That it’s not just simply hide or lay on the floor. Because I think you brought up in some conversation that kind of some dialogue that you were seeing online with some different folks that even law enforcement was weighing in that statistically, or the details of many of these incidents, folks who were just simply hiding or laying on the floor
Bryan Strawser: Not survivable.
Bray Wheeler: … were at greater risk than those that had felt empowered to take some sort of defensive action, whether that was [inaudible] or barricade, fight back. Correct?
Bryan Strawser: Totally. Yeah, I mean, the discussion, this was in a private discussion in the online forum where there were several law enforcement leaders and others kind of debating this topic, the studies are pretty clear, and there’s a really good one. There’s a group out of Purdue, Purdue University, that does computer modeling of previous incidents based upon run, hide, fight, some other things. They’ve got a using game theory, they got a pretty detailed setup here. And they had a pretty good study that came out last year about run, hide, fight versus hide. And run, hide, fight comes out way ahead because if you can evacuate, if you can get out, run away from the risk, that’s survivable. Hiding when you’re in a confined space with an active shooter, there’s just too much likelihood that they’re going to find you or be able to gain access to the area. So statistically, it’s better to execute, run, hide, fight than it is to just execute hiding. And that was kind of the point of the online discussion.
Bryan Strawser: And again, I think this goes back to what’s the intent of an active shooter drill or exercise and what methodology are you following here. I think the point that we want to emphasize is if you’re testing a tactical response, that’s a different kind of exercise and one where you should really only do that with volunteers who are willing to be subjected to what that exercise might involve as opposed to a general active shooter drill in a K-12 education environment where you’re practicing, run, hide, fight, but how do we get out? How do we hide or barricade ourselves when we have to do that? How do we fight if we must? And we’ve lost this somewhere in this exercise planning and we’re having folks bring in flashbangs and firecrackers and gunfire and firing blanks, and just not a place for that.
Bryan Strawser: It doesn’t help improve the outcome that you’re seeking. The outcome you’re seeking is, I want to get these folks out of here safely if the unthinkable thing happens. And that we do that by giving them the muscle memory on what we want them to do, which is run, hide, fight. They know how to do it because they’ve practiced it.
Bray Wheeler: One of my, and I think a lot of what’s happening too is kind of an overthinking of some of that stuff that really, there are schools already practiced, I mean, I remember doing it in elementary school of evacuations…
Bryan Strawser: Fire drills.
Bray Wheeler: Fire drills. So really, it’s trying to create alignment around some of those components that if it’s the run portion of it, create alignment around how you’re running regardless of the incident. So if you’re already doing that for a fire drill, your run, hide, fight drill, the run portion of that should look very similar to a fire drill. Your evacuation drill should be agnostic of probably the incident with further direction to the staff of saying, hey, in this situation, when we know it’s this kind of incident or we believe it to be this kind of incident, we’re going farther or we’re going to another setup. Whereas fire, it’s, we’re only going to the outskirts of the parking lot kind of thing and just moving away, whatever the case is, but leaving that to staff to know we’re going to continue to move based on whatever the threat or the incident is. But that mechanics of getting kid in the classroom in a desk to the outside of the building into a position of gaining safety should look largely the same.
Bray Wheeler: And so you don’t have to overthink how you go about doing that. Barricading might be a little bit different. Barricading might be customizing it to the age of the students too a little bit that what you’re asking kindergarteners to do probably isn’t what you’re asking an 11th grader to do-
Bryan Strawser: I hope not.
Bray Wheeler: … in terms of those things or how it’s being messaged as well because I always go back to, you don’t want this to be a situation where your drill ends up looking like the nuclear drill in the cold war area where hide under your desk because it makes you feel better even though it’s going to have no impact on whether or not you’re going to survive that thing or not. So it needs to be purposeful in terms of what, how you’re laying those things out. Exercises are really more for maybe staff in some situations, more for your security teams, your local law enforcement, inviting them into kind of go through a situation in which they’re practicing in the school versus, or business, but you have just that minimum kind of security teams or other teams that are in there practicing and you’re not subjecting students or broad staff to some of those because that’s not their role in those situations. To go back to the kind of the tactical piece, really, what you’re looking at is more drill wise. You’re trying to build that muscle memory.
Bray Wheeler: It’s the practice of we’re just going to keep repeating the same thing over and over again so that when they get older or move on to other organizations and things like that, it becomes the stop, drop and roll type mindset of I know the fundamentals of what to do in these situations.
Bryan Strawser: So that’s kind of the, I think we’ve beaten the drill exercise piece to death here. Again, our point is just knowing your audience, craft exercise the audience, don’t deliberately traumatize folks. That doesn’t help you achieve the outcomes that we’re after in an active shooter drill or exercise. But these are important. They’re important because when these things happen, as rare as they are, we need people to act into certain things that we know save lives. And practicing these in a way that builds muscle memory and helps them know what to do when that alert is called for them to take action helps save lives. And those are valuable steps to take without traumatizing folks just by doing exercises.
Bray Wheeler: You want them to feel empowered, to be safe rather than fearful of what’s happening. You’re trying to move them to that empower phase.
Bryan Strawser: The other area we wanted to touch on briefly just around other active shooter preparedness is whether you do it for active shooter reasons or not. The shooting tragedy last week in California at Santa Clarita at the school did highlight one I think important thing, and this may have gotten missed in some of the other coverage, but one of the students that was wounded, their life was saved by their teacher because she had taken training for Stop The Bleed and had the Stop The Bleed tools available to her, bandage for pressure, tourniquet, she may have used other things that the story didn’t get in a lot of tactical detail, but if you think about lifesaving training that you can provide to your staff or your employees or your community, it’s hard to beat the basics of Stop The Bleed about trying to help people survive traumatic bleeding by giving them, there’s a training course that they can go to and then they can get a little Stop The Bleed kit that has some of the basic things in there.
Bryan Strawser: And, I mean, some businesses even put a big Stop The Bleed kits that have multiple little kits inside them. We use the Stop The Bleed kits here at Bryghtpath. We have one here in the office next to our general first aid kit because we do have storage and we do have places here. We have knives and things where accidental traumatic bleeding can happen. And that and CPR training are two of the best things you can do to empower your staff to survive any type of kind of traumatic or medical issue that comes up. I know there’s been some criticism of Stop The Bleed being offered in schools over political reasons, but I think that this is great training and as we saw last week, it saved a student’s life.
Bray Wheeler: Wait. I think there’s, I mean, there’s certainly the political debate around it. I mean, at least my take, and I don’t know if I’m speaking for you, Bryan, but at a minimum, why wouldn’t it be a good idea to armor people with that kind of training? We do first aid training, we do CPR training, we encourage all those different things. Stop The Bleed is just a build on to that because again, if you’re thinking about corporate office probably, that would be probably what you’re probably using that training for in that environment, but if we’re talking a school environment, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that you have industrial shops, you have welding and woodworking, you have all sorts of different equipment that there is that chance that there are other things happening that cause those things, so why aren’t you preparing yourself to combat that as well in addition to this kind of external, internal slash threat that unfortunately, schools are facing as well?
Bryan Strawser: I feel like we have a lot of conversation. I have a lot of conversations with friends about how they defend themselves, how they protect themselves. They might have permits and carry a firearm. They may carry a knife that they use for cutting things they think they’re going to defend themselves with. We have a lot of debate and discussion in this country about do we arm teachers, do we arm staff at schools? I’d argue that one of the most valuable things you could do is learn first aid and CPR and how to stop traumatic bleeding or some combination of that, and you will have already learned more than what the average person does to take ownership for your safety and the safety of those around you. I just think it’s great that it was used by this teacher who was obviously well prepared for that very tragic situation in the school last week.
Bryan Strawser: So you can learn more. It’s stopthebleed.org. The folks that started this were actually a cohort behind me at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, NPLI. The idea came from that cohort and has turned into quite a thing, and I think we want to encourage that.
Bryan Strawser: That’s it for this edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode. Be well.
In this edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser submits himself to questioning from Bryghtpath Consultant Bray Wheeler on the topic of how to make the case to leadership to gain new resources, headcount, finances, or approval for a project.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #21: I hope you dance * Episode #81: When to bring in a consultant and use them effectively * Blog Post: How to sell your business continuity program to senior executives
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Brian Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath.
Bray Wheeler: This is Bray Wheeler, consultant here at Bryghtpath.
Bryan Strawser: We’re going to do something a little different today. We’re going to… Well, I think to frame this up, Bray is essentially going to interview me about making the case to leadership, a topic that we’ve explored elsewhere but we haven’t really talked about too much, you know, here on the podcast.
Bryan Strawser: We’ve had this idea for this episode sitting around in the hopper for quite some time, for a year, but it really comes from my experience growing into being a senior leader at my previous employer and getting to that place where I was the subject matter expert and the leader of the team, and having to go to leadership and often going to business leadership above my direct boss in order to make the case for things you wanted to do in the process of obtaining everything from budgets, expense, and travel, and resources, to headcount, to capital dollars for software or for facilities and emergency operation centers and that kind of thing.
Bryan Strawser: So I don’t know the questions.
Bray Wheeler: It’s a mystery.
Bryan Strawser: Bray has got some role written here that I can see, and we’re just going to have an open conversation around these. I’ll attempt to answer, and I’m sure Bray will have some color commentary along the way.
Bray Wheeler: Let’s do it.
Bryan Strawser: Let’s do it.
Bray Wheeler: So yeah, I just have kind of some basic questions and they’re a little bit open-ended, and kind of let you riff, and I can ask some follow-ups here. But really in terms of making the case to leadership, how is that something that’s… You know, just at the start here, how do you prepare yourself for that?
Bray Wheeler: You’ve been asked to go present on X topic. Does it make a difference in terms of what the topic is and how you prepare, or just generally how are you thinking about it? How are you preparing to go have that conversation, that presentation?
Bryan Strawser: I think the context matters a little bit. I mean certainly at our last employer where we worked together prior to Bryghtpath there were formal processes in presenting to leadership about things. There was a capital expenditure committee that if you were going to ask for money over X dollars out of capital, even though your budget had already been approved you had to go in and present the request, and they were very formal.
Bryan Strawser: It had to be in a certain format. They were originally on big display boards and they eventually went to PowerPoint, but you literally had like three minutes typically to make this case. Now what that meant was the real meetings were the meetings before the meeting with all the members of the expenditure committee to make sure that they had a chance to weigh in, so you’re kind of time lining this stuff out, 30, 60, 45 days to get there.
Bryan Strawser: So setting the formal thing aside, the real decisions were made in small group meetings or one-on-one meetings. It would be my boss and I, but it was my meeting. Like he was there… He or she was there to deal with certain things, but like it was my presentation to that senior leader.
Bryan Strawser: I always kind of thought of this… And I learned this from Rob [Borsch 00:03:22], who I worked for several years. I tried to figure out like what was the catch in there that went along with whatever it was that I was about to do, the thing that would stick with them, right?
Bryan Strawser: So, you know, one of the projects I led in my former life was this just massive, and I mean massive, retrofit of video surveillance equipment from VCRs in the original DVR state. I’m not kidding, VCRs in some stages to IP based video that used, you know, [inaudible] parts, commercial off the shelf systems cobbled together, so to speak, into this video surveillance system.
Bryan Strawser: We definitely had to have a narrative that went along with that, because this was a big spend. This was board-level spend to get the project approved and then the year-over-year spend.
Bryan Strawser: So we really spent a lot of time thinking about like what’s the narrative that we want to tell around this and how do we do our due diligence around… Like what are the questions that we were going to… We started to anticipate the questions we were going to get and how do we make sure we have a good, logical, detail around how we were going to deal with those questions.
Bryan Strawser: There were always questions about the business case. There were always questions about why did you pick these stores versus all stores, and we had to deal with… In some cases, you know, in a corporate leadership team, an executive team that reports to the CEO, there’s usually a pretty good divergence of opinions on not necessarily the vision, but about how to do things and how do you get there.
Bryan Strawser: In some cases, we had folks who were like well you should just retrofit everything to the new system. We were like yeah, I mean but you’re not going to give us $450 million, or whatever. I mean it was some absurd amount of money, but like here’s the logic we got to this.
Bryan Strawser: You tried to present the material in a way that you got questions that you expected versus like well I don’t understand why you picked these stores versus these stores. We could answer that by explaining the methodology, but when somebody started nitpicking, I mean that would be bad. You’re off the topic of like I need the money to do this. Here’s the business case.
Bryan Strawser: I think the other thing related to this that’s important to consider is it’s rare to have a profit generating project out of the support function like corporate security, which was our team, global security at the time.
Bryan Strawser: It’s hard to bring a project forward and say hey, we’re going to make money on this, so you really had to think about the qualitative business case and make sure that those things were tied to the company’s strategic objectives. Like keeping people safe and having a retail environment where women were comfortable shopping at night were core parts of what our mission was because it tied directly to the guest base, the customer base of the company.
Bryan Strawser: So we could emphasize those things because we knew that they would resonate as opposed to don’t look over here where this project loses $40 million in net present value because it doesn’t generate any cash flow. It’s just a spend.
Bryan Strawser: That’s a pretty broad answer to your question, but that’s what we went after, like what’s the narrative, what questions did we think we were going to get, how do we make sure the drafts are crafted material to head off those questions or address head-on, what was the business case, quantitative and qualitative.
Bray Wheeler: So kind of around that, kind of drilling into kind of those components of that, what would you say… What’s the most effected elements kind of within that? So taking like the narrative itself, kind of as you’re laying it out what are those kind of like key pieces in that narrative portion, or like the key moments of your presentation? What do you typically kind of default to as you’re kind of setting it up or you’re making the case?
Bryan Strawser: I mean I tried to craft the narrative in a way that it was fricking obvious as possible that we needed to do this thing. If that meant we had to have… Sometimes we had data that backed up the position, sometimes we didn’t. I really aimed to have like what’s an interesting narrative to address here. That narrative needs to connect to the company’s strategic objectives, and then that we made the case just in a very strong manner to get us the things that we needed.
Bryan Strawser: I think for example… I was trying to think of public-facing things I could talk about. For example, one of the things at our former employer that rolled out about, well more than 10 years ago now, were vehicles for parking lot patrol. I think it was initially Segway and then later the T3 motion vehicles.
Bryan Strawser: You could go… I mean I’m not telling you any trade secret here. They’re out there. There was press when the company did it. The segue project was actually… It got a lot of criticism at first because people were like you’re just buying some toys. Yeah, we’re not. Like, look at the data. Let me show you data behind this because honestly, I didn’t believe it at first, that this was going to work. It was another one of my boss’ crazy ideas that had come up. But you know what? It did work. So here’s the structured analysis that we did and here’s the drop in parking lot crime that occurred because of this.
Bryan Strawser: Now the narrative was about here’s the issue with parking lot crime. Here’s the perception of customers based upon a survey from a team… There was a research team that did that kind of thing. Here’s what our customers tell us is important to them. Safety was like the number two thing on choosing where to shop. Here’s what we’re going to do to drive down the parking lot crime rate.
Bryan Strawser: Essentially it wasn’t crime that occurred in the stores. Crime was occurring in the parking lots. So here’s how we were going to address this. And look, we piloted this in 40 some stores and here are the results we had, which the results were awesome. Actually, after the first year, our results in the actual deployment were better than our pilot.
Bryan Strawser: So it kind of… I mean it led them to a place that just… It was obvious that we should do this. The other thing too is I would say just where it’s possible just take advantage of the fact if you’re working on something cool that you find some cool ways to share that. Honestly, part of what sold this, we took executives for a segue ride.
Bray Wheeler: Really?
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I mean we took them on a… We brought the segue up to one of the floors where the execs were at and we let them ride it around. So here’s the CEO riding a segue going, “That’s like the coolest thing I’ve ever done.” Great. I’m about to ask you for $1.4 million to buy more, or whatever. I don’t remember what the numbers were. So look for ways to do that.
Bray Wheeler: Almost make it interactive?
Bryan Strawser: Make it interactive. Make it fun. But again, you got to tailor this to your-
Bray Wheeler: The audience?
Bryan Strawser: The audience. Right. Some folks are not into that kind of thing.
Bray Wheeler: So in terms of… So say you’re… You talked a little bit about kind of the pre-meetings, but then going into the kind of official meeting where say the case you’re making doesn’t allow for kind of the pre-meetings. How do you condense, or what are kind of the steps in terms of kind of taking that allotted time that you have… Say you have three minutes to make your case. What are you kind of shooting for in those three minutes?
Bray Wheeler: Sitting around kind of that narrative in the scripting of how you’re making that case, but that becomes a factor for folks in terms of I have this really great story to tell. I can’t possibly tell you that in three minutes. Like how do you get it down to that three minutes to five minutes, whatever it is?
Bryan Strawser: One of my former mentors who still works in the field at a different organization told me once that when you’re talking to folks at this level there are just three things to remember, be good, be brief, be gone.
Bryan Strawser: So three to five minutes I think to ask for capital was pretty much in the amount… Is what I recall from my time there. There’s a little bit of formality at the beginning. We’re requesting blah, blah, blah, blah for whatever, fully funded within our capital budget.
Bryan Strawser: Then I would just switch from there to my narrative. My narrative is I’m going to say about a minute, 45 to 60 seconds on the narrative, like I’ve got a story to tell. I want to paint a vision or paint the problem very clearly. Here’s the solution. Here’s what we’ve seen from the tests or the pilot, or here’s what it’s going to look like, or whatever the answer is to that, and then here are the benefits.
Bryan Strawser: Of course they’re going to have a financial analysis in front of them which might paint an ugly picture. Walkthrough that briefly, or in some cases, Finance came with us and they addressed the finance questions on like on our big stuff. If you had brought the analyst along that was better in trying to explain why was the cash flow low. Well, I don’t know. I’m not-
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. Let the money guy talk money.
Bryan Strawser: This was before I went to business school, so I was a little better at this after getting through accounting and finance classes at the grad level.
Bryan Strawser: Then just the wrap-up, I would try to just end early and have questions, and there are always… There were almost always questions.
Bray Wheeler: What kind of questions did you typically see? What was kind of the most frequent flyer, and then what was kind of the craziest questions?
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I mean sometimes there were some clarifying questions like so this is for 300 stores? Yes, and the 300 stores are on page four of this tab or whatever. There was always a list of the stores that were impacted or other facilities.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. Sometimes they would ask if so-and-so had seen this, like have you worked through… Yes. Have you done this? Yes. I led the design team for a while and we did a lot of stuff with the folks that built and designed, the architects and the planners. They’re in the room because most of what goes on here were new store approval and remodel approval.
Bryan Strawser: When they were like have you spoken with… Or what is the planning team say, I would just turn to them because they’re in the room. Like your the SVP for architecture, and he would… I mean clearly if he supported it is why we were there. If he didn’t, we never would have made it this far. So yeah, he would get up and [crosstalk] blah, blah, blah, blah.
Bryan Strawser: A good example was security cameras on the outside of stores, right? This company was very particular about the prototype and the look and feel of a facility, and that was one of the things that architecture and planning SVP asked me to fix when I came into that role 13 years ago. It’s like we built these beautiful buildings and then you hang these damn cameras on there.
Bryan Strawser: So we found a way to do this better, right, and then we took it forward for retrofits or whatever. That question came up and I just gave it to him and he goes, “Well, yeah, architecturally we didn’t like it, so we’ve worked with the [inaudible] team to come up with a better solution and this is it, and we fully support it.” It doesn’t get any better than that.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: I have seen… I mean, unfortunately, you know, feedback at that level, it’s just very direct. Sometimes we took things in there and we had to bring them back because somebody didn’t like something, and they don’t like to have conflict amongst each other in the room.
Bryan Strawser: Usually the conflict was financial related, so we’d have to go back and then go back to the CFO and… Mind you, we’ve done that once.
Bray Wheeler: Sure.
Bryan Strawser: But we’d always come out with a better effort I think in the end because the questions were almost always like… They were pretty valid about what to do.
Bryan Strawser: This never happened to me, but I was witness to a number of individuals who just got destroyed in there, I would say because they either didn’t anticipate the questions that they were going to get and therefore didn’t have very good answers, or at least didn’t anticipate some of the themes of the questioning, and then just sometimes stuff comes in that’s just not… It’s just a bad idea and it doesn’t fit with the corporate objectives, but somehow it gets up to we’re going to go to this meeting and just get… It was ugly.
Bryan Strawser: My biggest effort that I ever took in there, the person in front of us… Because you’re in the room for the two presentations in front of you, like in the next at-bat circle, in the on-deck or whatever, and you would… You’d watch the two in front of you, and the person in front of us just got pummeled over something and it just… It was a bad idea and I’m not sure why they got that far, but it got tore up, and then like, “Okay, Bryan Strawser you’re up,” and I’m like oh boy, don’t hang any curveballs.
Bray Wheeler: Right. That was actually… My next question here was just around… You started to touch on this but in terms of making a case what should be avoided? What are the bad elements? What are bad prep ideas that influence or impact the way that these presentations go? Were there common factors in there?
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I mean there’s a couple. One is like what I mentioned earlier. It’s don’t bring bad ideas forward. You need to have some ways to be able to vet that information. You need to have some ways to vet this information upfront with the trusted partners so that you’re not taking anything that’s just a bad idea, that’s kind of dumb, forward to the group.
Bryan Strawser: You can’t rely upon… I saw someone once make an argument that we needed to do something because they were professionally certified in the field and this is what we should do. I was sitting in the room as somebody who also had the same professional certification and thought that was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard.
Bryan Strawser: So just because… Don’t make that argument to executives. It will not resonate. You need to do this because I have my certified business professional certification. No, they will not care one iota. To me, those were table stakes to play in this field anyway. That doesn’t make you necessarily better than another person or have better ideas.
Bryan Strawser: So those are things I think you want to avoid. You really have to be able to just get to the point and show that you’ve done your homework, you understand the issue, that you’re putting forward the best possible solution, that you’ve anticipated these questions about scope, scale, severity, spend. Can you narrow it down? Can you do more? All these things have come up to me in the approval conversation about let’s do all stores, let’s do no stores, let’s cut this by half. You need to be able to have that discussion, but you also need to know when you’ve lost the point and just back off and go somewhere else.
Bryan Strawser: I think good practice for this honestly is listening to US Supreme Court arguments because attorneys before the Supreme Court get 15 to 30 minutes to make their case, and they get about a minute into that before the Justices just start in.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Right? And the questions are like… And the questions are hard. I think that’s good practice for the kind of thinking about what you’re going to have to do in these conversations.
Bray Wheeler: How that narrative works?
Bryan Strawser: Right.
Bray Wheeler: How do you know… So going back to your kind of the bad idea point, how do you know what’s a bad idea, given that if I’m presenting a case to you as leaders and I think this is the greatest thing I’ve ever thought of, how am I warning myself that it’s a bad idea? What are those steps in there that should be taken for sure kind of practically for faults?
Bryan Strawser: I think it is where you need good feedback partners. You need to make sure that you’re working with a good leader that can guide you on these things, serve as a partner who’s been down this road before. I think having peers or others that have had to do this and have them give you thoughts and ideas about what has and has not worked for them. You need someone that is willing to look at and talk through your idea and give you insight and input on where should you go with this. I think that’s helpful.
Bryan Strawser: I had a mixed bag there. I always had leaders who were very good at this particular topic. When I was a manager, my directors were really good at this. When I was the director, my chief security officer and the VPE was really good at this, although he would never go and do it himself. We always had to go and ask for capital, and that’s fine. Sometimes he was in the room and sometimes he was like, “Have fun. Let me know how it goes.”
Bryan Strawser: But I think you need those folks just for your general professional development, but I think those are good folks to bounce things off of to make sure you’re not just coming forward with a really dumb idea.
Bray Wheeler: Do you have to go seek out like a really tough critic in some cases, or not always, or not necessarily?
Bryan Strawser: I think you should have… I don’t know if you necessarily need a tough critic, but I think you need to find somebody that’s willing, to be honest with you about feedback. I had a former boss that I loved working for, but he was very challenging.
Bryan Strawser: I like that from the standpoint that he thought I wasn’t so good at things I thought I was good at, so it made me better, right?
Bray Wheeler: Sure.
Bryan Strawser: He would shy away from… I always went to him for advice when I wasn’t working for him anymore. I never really went to him for advice when I was reporting to him. But I would go to him and we’d laugh and we’d kind of talk through something and he would be like, “Okay, well since you asked for my advice let me be honest with you,” and then I would just kind of pucker. Then, “I think you’re wrong and here’s how I think you should think about doing this.” So I found that helpful.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. Kind of the last question, if you were giving the advice to somebody walking in the room with you’re being that kind of honest feedback partner, what… I know you’ve mentioned kind of be good, be quick, be out. What advice would you give somebody walking into that room or setting up that presentation to go forward, just kind of baseline advice?
Bryan Strawser: Well, one is I would repeat that advice, in this conversation you need to be good, be brief, be gone. If they’re going to ask questions, they’re going to ask. Give them some time to process and do so.
Bryan Strawser: The second… Okay, some of this is cultural to your organization too, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but if you bring material, the material is an appendix to what you’re going to have to say. If the material just reflects what you’re saying there’s no need for the meeting, you just give it to them.
Bryan Strawser: I hated meeting where somebody handed me something and if I read that I knew the whole story and then there was no point in the conversation happening. I know that sounds kind of dickish, but I think it’s true. If you don’t have a lot of time in your day to do stuff, then that’s going to come up like that.
Bryan Strawser: I think you really want to think about how you’re going to use the time. If you’ve got 30 minutes you should plan on talking for 10 or 15, and get through the one or two big things that you need to get out of that conversation. Have a leave behind in order to explain that.
Bryan Strawser: But really think about the material that you’re bringing. If it’s a widget, bring a picture of the widget, or bring the widget for them to play with, right, and talk through the what and the why and how is this important. I would think of it in that way.
Bryan Strawser: Otherwise, I think we’ve covered some of the other preparations, right? I mean think about your narrative and the questions you’re going to get and that kind of thing.
Bray Wheeler: So last question… You know, I promise-
Bryan Strawser: The last, last question.
Bray Wheeler: … the last, last question. Does it make a difference in terms of what the topic of the presentation is in terms of how you’re setting that up? We’ve talked a lot about kind of capital and business expense and kind of making the business case, but what if it’s something issue related, incident related, reputationally related like it’s an actual event or incident that’s gone on or something that is going on or set to occur?
Bray Wheeler: Does it make a difference in terms of how you’re kind of teeing up that conversation or is it really kind of the same principles as making the other case, you just have to… You’re customizing that narrative in a different fashion?
Bryan Strawser: I think it does change the conversation a little bit in terms of what becomes important. I had a lot of discussions with senior leaders about things that have happened. A lesson that I learned early on is that you should assume they don’t know anything about the incident in the context around the incident and the situation around the incident, so you need to be prepared to share what’s pertinent and then let them ask questions about that.
Bray Wheeler: Is that even if they’ve been included on communication or-
Bryan Strawser: I never trusted anyone else’s… To be clear, since you’ve worked for me, I trusted people’s communication on my team because I knew what the command center was publishing. I didn’t trust any other person’s conversation, because I don’t know if they’ve given them the context that as the crisis leader I thought they needed to know.
Bray Wheeler: Sure.
Bryan Strawser: So I would want to make sure that they knew and had the context that I thought was important. And you know what? If they know it, they’re just going to cut me off, then that’s fine. I can deal with that. I’ll set my ego aside and take that for what it is and go on, but I think it’s tough to put them in a position where they need to make decisions if they don’t have what you think is the strategic context of what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: A good example of this is… This is the first time that he had done this, but the CEO called me in the morning Hurricane Sandy made landfall. I was in an off-site leadership meeting and he hadn’t gotten the update that he was expecting, which was kind of miscommunication on our part, but he started asking some questions about Sandy and the impact and what we didn’t know.
Bryan Strawser: We didn’t know the answer to any of his questions because the thing had just made landfall in the early morning hours and we weren’t going to get access to the locations for several more hours, like till after lunchtime or so in Minnesota.
Bryan Strawser: So I was just very clear with him about here’s where the storm is at and here’s kind of the stage we’re at and here’s when we’re going to know something, which is later today, and we may not have a very good picture until tomorrow because there’s going to be some areas like… Which it turned out to be true, New York City, New Jersey, and Long Island, where we’re probably not going to get access to the stores until tomorrow.
Bryan Strawser: We might have done… I think we did an overflight, we did some [inaudible] coverage to get some ideas, but you don’t know until you get in and start looking around.
Bryan Strawser: I was just very clear with him about like here’s the context that I think you need to know right now. Here’s where it’s at. Here’s who we’re working with. You made it clear that you want to know more, so we’ll communicate with you more frequently about what’s going on and you can call me at any time. If he had talked to any other leader in the organization, I don’t think he would have gotten that context, but because I was the crisis leader I was able to kind of explain that.
Bryan Strawser: So that context in the course of an incident, that’s important to know, and I would start off with the assumption that they don’t know anything about that.
Bray Wheeler: Is there anything in terms of, thinking about the incident, that you want… You kind of talked about offering up kind of call me anytime, here’s the next update. Is there anything else that you always like to leave that leader or leaders with kind of in those conversations as you’re making the case, like kind of your final thought or offering off that conversation? Is there anything additional that is important to kind of leave with them?
Bryan Strawser: I think it depends on the context. The closure I always left leaders with on a crisis was if you have questions that our normal communication isn’t answering please call me or call the command center or call my boss to get that context. It’s important to me that you have a few views on what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: But if I was wrapping up a conversation about something I was asking for, I would probably… I would wrap that up with an additional ask around here’s… You know, again I want to reiterate here’s why I think this is the right thing to do, and if you have questions then I would love the opportunity to answer those or something like that.
Bray Wheeler: Kind of a final summary?
Bryan Strawser: Kind of your final summary, your final ask. The sales language is you’re supposed to ask three times for the thing, so ask for the sale. That’s kind of where I always got to at the end of those.
Bray Wheeler: Awesome. Those are all the questions I had. That covered it. Thank you.
Bryan Strawser: That was fun, except for not knowing the questions.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah, and my final three questions.
Bryan Strawser: That’s it for this edition of the Managing Uncertainty podcast. Tune in next week for another new episode. Thanks for listening.
In this edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser and Consultant Bray Wheeler, take on the new report by the United States Secret Service on targeted school violence.
Just published in November 2019, this report analyzes more the forty targeted school violence attacks in the United States and provides a detailed base of facts about school violence, as well as an updated methodology and practical guidelines for prevention.
The full report can be downloaded from the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) through this link.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Blog Post: Diving into the Secret Service’s Report on School Threat Assessment Teams * Episode #30: Threat Management in Educational Institutions * Episode #51: School Threat Assessment Teams * Bryghtpath: Education Industry – Services & Results
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the managing uncertainty podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath.
Bray Wheeler: This is Bray Wheeler, consultant here at Bryghtpath.
Bryan Strawser: And on this week’s episode we’re discussing the Secret Services recent report published in November 2019, titled Protecting America’s Schools, a United States Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence. This report is available online and we will link it in the show notes. It’s a fascinating report that goes deep into 41 incidents of targeted school violence that occurred in K through 12 schools in the United States from 2008 to 2017. And they cite that these findings will help prevention efforts for schools and law enforcement across the country as communities work to develop threat assessment protocols that are geared towards preventing school violence tragedies. Some basic info that I think was shared or some basic info that kind of kicked the report off, and then I want to get to the meat of this, which is really about the warning signs of potential targeted school violence.
Bryan Strawser: But of the 41 attacks that are profiled in the report, all but two occurred in public schools. So only two occurred in charter or private schools. 73% of these attacks were carried out in grades nine through 12, so in high schools. Most of those schools that had a targeted violent attack had implemented some type of physical security measure and 66% of them had either full or part-time school resource officers on the campus. So, police officers on the campus. The most commonly used physical security measure was a school walk down procedure, followed by security cameras, followed by alert systems that notified community members via text or phone calls. 61% of the attacks used firearms, 39% use knives. Shocking. The attackers were predominantly male, 83%, and white, 63%. And by shocking, I mean not shocking, because most violent perpetrators are male. 17% of the attackers were female. Their ages range from 12 to 18. The average age was 15 years old. Bray, any initial reaction to that information?
Bray Wheeler: Unfortunately that sounds a lot like what we’ve seen and heard, both in the news and just historically, sort of sense. This kind of came on the national radar via Columbine, Parkland and others in between. The MO holds pretty strong to that kind of description of what’s happened and who committed it.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I would point out the sample size is pretty small. 41 attacks over a nine year time period. I believe, I don’t have the report in front of me at the moment, but I believe that the report is inclusive of all targeted school violence attacks and they have a definition for what that means in the report. I don’t think these were cherry-picked. I was a little surprised. I expected the number of male offenders to be higher than 83% because it’s almost… You look at violent crime, it’s almost all male that occurs.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. Yeah. That is a little bit kind of noticeable in terms of the number there that it is as low as it.
Bryan Strawser: It’s a little lower, yeah. So in the reports there were 10 warning signs that were highlighted of things that can be observed prior to a school attack that I think are worth speaking to. The first one is that there is no single profile of a student attacker or a profile for the type of school targeted. Attackers varied in age, gender, race, grade level, academic performance and social characteristics, and the schools varied in size, location and teacher to pupil ratio. The Secret Service’s conclusion here is that rather than focusing on a set of traits of characteristics, threat assessment processes should focus instead on gathering information about a student’s relevant behaviors, situational factors and circumstances in order to assess risk.
Bryan Strawser: I think we knew this. This lines up by the way with the FBI’s recent publication of their mass shooting, Active Shooter reports, where the Behavioral Science Unit went into like what are the warning signs, what are the pre attack indicators? And the Bureau’s conclusion is essentially there was no single profile that said, “Yes, this is a person who was going to commit targeted violence.” It was a combination of things. [crosstalk 00:05:11].
Bray Wheeler: And I think to their point, it’s really about the behaviors and noticing people that are around these potential actors, differences in their behaviors and their-
Bryan Strawser: It was about their [crosstalk] it was about their behavior.
Bray Wheeler: What are they doing? There’s a difference, and what is that difference? And does that difference raise any sort of red flag for you? And if it does, being able to communicate that.
Bryan Strawser: Take action on that. Number two, on the warning signs, attackers usually had multiple motivations for their attack. The most common, however, involve a grievance with classmates, faculty or staff.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah, I mean it’s the different motivations and oftentimes that tends to be kind of the thing in their life that starts to set off some of that. I don’t want to call it the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back because there’s probably a multitude of factors there, but it typically manifests there that they want to take action and that feels probably like the path of least resistance to be able to take an action when they’ve gone kind of that far in the mindset.
Bryan Strawser: Number three is that most attackers used firearms and those firearms were most often acquired from the home. That many attackers were able to gain access to unsecured firearms in their place of residence. Others were also able to gain access to firearms that were in a secured safe. For example, in the Sandy Hook shooting, that individual actually killed his mother in order to gain access to the firearms that were in a safe. I don’t know if there was a combination or key or certainly how that worked, but his homicide of her enabled him to gain access to the firearms that were secured in a safe.
Bryan Strawser: Knives were used in lesser number of attacks. 39% I believe was the number recited earlier. Threat assessment teams should explore if a student has access to any weapons, particularly weapons that are stored at home.
Bray Wheeler: That’s almost one of those, you can get into the merits of it and kind of the political conversation of it, but reality is reality. People have those firearms in their homes and that again, that’s the path of least resistance to acquire something. High school students aren’t probably-
Bryan Strawser: They’re not walking into a gun shop to buy a gun because they can’t.
Bray Wheeler: Or is likely to try and get one off the street, based on the profile of these individuals that we’re talking about in here. Certainly, gang-related violence and things like that tend to be kind of classified and talked about a little bit different and very much a threat nonetheless. But in terms of these school shootings, that’s the path of least resistance to get that. And that’s typically where those people have gone.
Bryan Strawser: Number four, most attackers had experienced psychological, behavioral or developmental symptoms prior to their act of targeted violence.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah, I mean that gets to be it… Again, it’s back to some of that’s just reality. It’s also a sensitive discussion topic. Well, because what constitutes… What, how severe, who’s doing the classification? Has there been-
Bryan Strawser: What’s the actual behavior that’s been observed?
Bray Wheeler: Right. Has there been anything in terms of action by the state government, the federal government, local government around said behavior? Has the school done anything around different behaviors that the student has exhibited in the past? I mean, it becomes a very key factor, but it’s also a piece that can vary slightly and is open to interpretation. It’s a little bit subjective in terms of how other people interpret.
Bryan Strawser: Totally agree. Yeah, you can’t see me nodding, but I’ve been nodding while Bray’s been talking. I think this reinforces the need to make sure that students and parents are aware of what resources are available to them for mental health assistance, social services counseling, substance abuse treatment. To your point, if we do get into a dicey situation here, like what kind of behavior are we really seeing? Is it psychological, is it behavioral, is it developmental, is it an addiction? There’s a lot of possibilities for what causes some of these. The point is, how do we make sure that they have access to resources that can help them in this situation.
Bryan Strawser: Number five is that half of the attackers had an interest in topics related to violence or as the report says, they displayed unusual or concerning interest in violence and weapons.
Bryan Strawser: That feels like a little bit of a stereotype. It made me think about the Columbine, it was the Trench Coat Mafia and dark stories and Dungeons and Dragons or whatever. Forgive me, because I don’t remember the particulars now, it’s been 20 years. But you had what I thought was kind of this irrational stereotyping of that. I wrote some violent things when I was in is cool because I mean, what did I watch? I liked Star Wars and Star Trek and we were shooting people with phasers and cut them in half of the lightsabers. It’s kind of violent.
Bray Wheeler: Well, again, it gets back to the little bit of the subjective nature of it. The open to interpretation, the fact that some of these things can be pretty obvious in that segment, but that doesn’t necessarily… There’s to your point, there’s lots of kids participating in those different activities and to varying degrees and what degree is-
Bryan Strawser: What’s concerning?
Bray Wheeler: Concerning-
Bryan Strawser: And what’s not?
Bray Wheeler: … to what person.
Bryan Strawser: Right.
Bray Wheeler: So, mom and dad’s level of concern may be very different than teacher’s concern may be very different than coaches concern may be very different than employer’s concerns.
Bryan Strawser: So again, we see, for a threat assessment team, it’s important to be holistic and look at the various dimensions of this and where does this fit in light of other factors for risk that should be considered as a part of that?
Bryan Strawser: Number six. All of the attackers experienced social stressors involving their relationships with their peers and/or romantic partners. That every attacker in this study experienced at least one social stressor most frequently related to bullying. Other stressors include family, academic, or school discipline.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah, I don’t know what my reaction to this one is necessarily in particular because it, I don’t want to make light of those pieces, but we’re also talking, if we’re talking the average age is 15, which means more likely we’re in that middle school, high school range.
Bryan Strawser: There’s a lot of social stressors.
Bray Wheeler: There is a lot of social stressors, and so I think part of, kind of back to the theme that you’re touching on, Bryan is, there’s a lot of factors at play. We can’t just extrapolate one of these things that we’ve talked about as a case in point for, you’re going to be an attacker, we need to watch you. Because I mean, to be fair across the board here, that one in particular for this age range, that’s just reality.
Bryan Strawser: I agree.
Bray Wheeler: They’re trying to learn their way in the world and especially in that middle school range where your hormones and your physiological and mental development is all over the place and emotional development. So I think the key piece there is where do those things lie? To what degree are those things being put to the forefront in terms of their behavior or their conversations or their actions, what they’re displaying in relation to some of these other things that we talked about?
Bryan Strawser: Number seven. Nearly every attacker experienced negative home life factors. That negative home-like factors included parental divorce or separation, drug use or criminal charges amongst family members, or domestic abuse. There’s probably more, I think those were some of the major factors. Absence of one parent or the other because of divorce, imprisonment or separation was also a factor here. And I don’t know, I mean, I think lots of folks have a negative home life factor to some extent. I was fortunate to have both of my parents growing up and we had a pretty stable nuclear family, but my aunts and uncles were alcoholics and drug addicts and that was all something I was exposed to. So definitely there was some negative… If I personalize this, there was some home negative influence in my broader family. I don’t think that’s necessarily unusual.
Bray Wheeler: No and I think, I mean again, not trying to minimize, but it definitely speaks to, I think the last four that we’ve talked about are all very related. They’re not necessarily unique in terms of grievance with a classmate or something like that. That’s a pretty common thing. These all speak to kind of the mental, emotional, environmental factors that a student, the child is kind of surrounded in, whether by their choice or by other people’s choosing. And I think that certainly these four definitely play a role, but they’re not common, so you have to take them as kind of the collective, which has been a theme we’ve been beating on here, but…
Bryan Strawser: Number eight. Most attackers, so more than a simple majority, were victims of bullying, which was often observed by others. The study found that in many cases the school was aware that the attacker experienced bullying, but the responses to bullying varied. In some cases the school did little to intervene or intervened in a way that increased the bullying of a student. And I think just like the others, this is another one where either you have to take this in light of the whole holistic view of what’s going on with this individual, and the combination of those risk factors. It’s not just that they were bullied, but it’s going to be a combination of this and other factors that will raise the risk in that case.
Bray Wheeler: When I think for schools and communities and things like that, getting clear on what bullying is and is not, and not throwing it around loosely, but also taking it seriously in terms of putting in different intervention programs, making sure that kids have access to other resources within the school, making sure that there are programs, processes, things like that, that are in place, that you’re not caught off guard. Because I think one of the things that is kind of in here that’s not necessarily explicitly stated in the schools and the communities that these are happening in aren’t a particular type of school or community that it’s happening in it. It varies from very suburban to little bit more rural to-
Bryan Strawser: Right. There was no profile [crosstalk] That’s right.
Bray Wheeler: And that community. So it happens everywhere. So you have to assume this can happen here. One of the cool programs at my kid’s school that I thought was kind of cool is, so they have a couple of counselors, and they have different things for different needs of different students. Whether that’s kind of anxiety, or they’ve got some personal stuff going on at home in terms of a sick parent or sibling or something like that. But one of the groups they have is just geared around kids who may need a forum to make some friends or to engage in more friendly kind of interactions with students, regardless of whether or not they’re aggressive or things like that.
Bray Wheeler: Sometimes those kids are just in a kind of in a funky spot. And so that’s an opportunity for them to get together and just talk and hang out and play different games and stuff like that. And fortunately one of my kids is able to experience that and has been having an awesome time, and he’s not one that doesn’t make friends easy. He’s pretty personable, he makes a lot of friends. But in terms of some of the stuff that he’s in, it’s a good forum for him to get together with different kids and not only help them through, but talk through it. So I mean it’s programs like that, that really can help shape and build a community and build a culture within the school too of no tolerance.
Bryan Strawser: Right.
Bray Wheeler: That other kids are starting to stand up for other kids and kind of self-policing a little bit. Not to put the responsibility on the students, but that is part of it. I mean, if that’s the world we want to live in, then got to start somewhere.
Bryan Strawser: Number nine. Most attackers had a history of school disciplinary actions, and many shooters had prior contact with law enforcement. I should say, attackers, not shooters. Many attackers had prior contact with law enforcement. Most attackers had a history of receiving a school disciplinary action resulting from a range of inappropriate behavior. And those actions included being suspended, being expelled, or having interactions with law enforcement.
Bryan Strawser: I think after Parkland, this doesn’t surprise us. In the Parkland incident, that individual had, I believe he had been expelled from school, but he wasn’t permitted back on school property, whatever the result was. But law enforcement had 35, 36 interactions with him prior to his attack at the Parkland school.
Bray Wheeler: If like we’ve talked about you’re taking these other kind of key findings and the consideration around that, it’s probably not surprising that there is disciplinary action within the school. Whether or not that’s prompted by that person or as a result of conflicts with people who are bullying that individual or there was grievances between classmates, things like that, the interactions with law enforcement, those can come in any manner of ways in terms of, as we talked about, interest in violent topics or firearms and weapons or just home life interactions with different things that are going on. So, not surprising given some of the other key findings we’ve talked about that would be a thing that’s a finding as well.
Bryan Strawser: Right. Number 10, and the last one, all attackers exhibited concerning behavior prior to the attack. Most elicited concern from others and most communicated their intent to attack.
Bray Wheeler: And that is probably the biggest one in there.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. It states that the initial indicators of a student in distress or exhibiting concerning behavior were most often observed by peers, school staff, family members or others in the community, some of whom took action and reported, and some did not. And those that did report action, was not always taken on their reports. And I think we know this to be true. We’ve seen this in coverage of other targeted violence in schools and out of schools, that a lot of times people aren’t willing to call and report behavior. And also that when their behavior is reported, law enforcement or other services don’t always take the actions that we expect them to take, or sometimes don’t even follow through on the report at all. Or in a lot of cases.
Bray Wheeler: Or even other organizations. So if a student goes to school and the school blows it off, doesn’t take action, thinks a different approach is preferred, I mean, that is the biggest probably piece in here, the biggest lesson learned or takeaway for everybody, is when you do see those things and it does raise those red flags and you’re serious enough about it to report it, follow up. Make sure that those things are getting communicated and if you don’t feel like it’s sufficient, communicate it again to a different audience. Escalate those things. Don’t let these things get lost in the shuffle because ultimately, the intent here hopefully for people is to help that individual, intercede before things continue to escalate down a road. Most of the time these are people that are close to the individual, whether that’s friends or family members or things like that. They’re the ones that are going to probably notice that behavior first and be most concerned about it and probably want to help.
Bryan Strawser: Well, I think the first indication right, I mean, or the first motivating factor, I should say, for when something is reported to you that you want to help the individual that’s in need. I’ve never worked in a school, but if I worked in a school and someone came to me with a report of concerning behavior, I don’t know that my first reaction would be, my God, we needed to deter the attack. I’d think it’s, how do I help this student or someone else that needs help in this case and the deterring and the attack isn’t necessarily something conscious that I’m doing. I’m taking action to help somebody that I have this connection to you as a staff or faculty member of a school.
Bray Wheeler: Or if it’s the organic prevention of that attack, to your point, that you’re not first going there, although probably some people do go immediately there. That’s probably not the most helpful either, but also speaks to some of the seriousness that people can take with some of these reports. But I think to your point, the need to help that individual in whatever way, whatever shape or form, that’s really the initial intent there. And so that should be taken seriously across the board and escalated and pieced together in terms of some of these other factors around that behavior, putting that right context in place so that the appropriate escalation is happening as well.
Bryan Strawser: And I think this goes back to kind of to a twofold thing we’ve been emphasizing throughout the podcast and that is that we believe that school threat assessment teams, this interdisciplinary group that’s been trained to evaluate risk and threats and be able to take a coordinated response to help the student and protect the school, are a really effective way of managing these situations. Particularly you’re looking at the holistic view of what’s going on with that student and all of the possible risk factors that are at play. And the Secret Service recommends this in the report. In fact, last year, I think it was late 2018, they had a report from their National Threat Assessment Center just about how to use threat assessment teams effectively in the K through 12 education environment to mitigate the risk of an attack and to help the student that’s in need.
Bryan Strawser: But second, I think this also just goes back to the point we had earlier that when suspicious or concerning behavior is reported to the school or to another body entity that’s out there, that you have to take these seriously, that you really have to follow up on that report in order to understand what’s going on with that student. And having a threat assessment team helps you kind of formalize that process and get multiple folks looking at the situation and providing their own trained view, but also the view from their discipline. You should have folks that have a security and law enforcement background, a counseling background, teachers and faculty that are a part of this, so that you get that well rounded view, holistic view of what’s going on with the student.
Bray Wheeler: Well, I think it speaks to the other kind of sub team we’ve been talking through is no one person in that student’s life can necessarily see all of these different factors that have been outlined here. Nobody’s got that view. Parents can say if they’re really on top of it that they absolutely know. I know my son or daughter. Not doubting that, but it’s also, you’re not walking in their shoes with them all day every day. You’ve allowed them to go out into the world. They’re in the classroom.
Bryan Strawser: How they are in the classroom might not be what you see at home?
Bray Wheeler: Yep. Because I’ve gone to plenty of teacher’s conferences where my kids are all well behaved and I go, “I want some of that at home.” I just signed my daughter’s report cards this morning. They’re six and eight, so there’s not a lot of serious academic stuff going on there yet. They’re learning how to read and write and spell and all the basic stuff. But they both had comments about that, like that they’re such a sweet, caring kind girl who helps others. And I’m like, “Where is this person?” Because that’s not what I have around the house.
Bryan Strawser: But, it’s right. I mean, we might laugh at that, but the truth is your child might act differently at school than what you’re used to seeing in home, good or bad.
Bray Wheeler: Or bad. And I think that’s the important pieces. As a parent, you should be your child’s biggest advocate, but again, recognize that you don’t see them everywhere. And so there might be factors, that’s not to say that they have the poor discipline or poor behavior or things like that, but things might be happening to them that they’re not sharing or they’re blowing off or that are building, that they don’t know how to communicate. So having that team at school, having engaged parents, or an engaged village, that community of people surrounding that student, when those things surface in terms of some of these findings that the Secret Service has laid out here, kind of bubble up or people report to say, “This is really different. I don’t feel good about this with John or Jane.” That hose things are, like we’ve said, addressed and addressed in a way that is holistic and reasonable and escalates as appropriate, to make sure that that student is getting what they need. And by hopefully by consequence, organically solves the problem of really violent behavior later.
Bryan Strawser: So we’ll link the report in the show notes so you can take a look at that. And I believe we have an episode a few months back on another Secret Service report that’s kind of related to this. We’ll link that as well. I think that was the one about threat assessment teams and their recommendations. We’ll link that up so you can go back and take a look at that episode.
Bryan Strawser: That’s it for this edition of the Managing Uncertainty podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode. Thanks for listening.
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser discusses the need for rapid decision making and communications during a crisis or incident.
Reflecting on a year of crisis exercises, Bryan discusses crisis management, crisis communications, crisis management frameworks, crisis plans, crisis plan annexes, prepared crisis communications messages, holding statements and more.
Related Episodes & Blog Posts * Episode #4: The Crisis Team * Episode #19: Exercises are Boring * Episode #34: Communicating after the Boom * Episode #40: Why we exercise our plans * Our Crisis Communications 101 Intro Course * Bryghtpath’s Crisis Communications Services
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty podcast. This is Brian Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath. I’m running solo on today’s podcast and I’d like to talk a little bit about the need for speed, so to speak, during a crisis or during a major incident. We’ve now facilitated a number of exercises over the course of the year. And one thing that we keep coming back to, coming out of these exercises is the need to get to a decision, the need to get the communication out, the need to make the strategic decisions that need to happen early in a crisis to set the stage for success. And so I want to dive into that a little bit and I think we’re clear about, I think everyone is clear about the need for rapid decision making during a crisis and the need to get your message out from a crisis communication standpoint once things start to become public or you’ve decided to make them public.
Bryan Strawser: But how does one achieve that? How do you get to that point in the crisis situation or in the exercise? As we’ve talked previously about how do you set up a crisis management team, an incident management team and kind of set the stage for this. It starts with having that basic crisis framework in place. That there are clear roles and responsibilities amongst the team on what every role or what every team does that they bring to the table. That you have created a decision making and communication framework that clearly lays out the decision-making rights of the individuals in the room. For example, who has to approve the activation of the crisis team, who is the final decision maker where there’s disagreement, who approves the communication, who needs to see that?
Bryan Strawser: Those are all basic things that should be in your initial crisis management framework and plan. And then once you have that in place, and we’ve always talked about at this point, you begin to prepare for known risks and threats. What are the five, 10, 15, 20 things that you think you are at most risk at or that your data says you’re at most risk to have happen? And now you start to build annexes to your plans, to your crisis management plan on how you’re going to deal with those specific situations. For example, the place I came from and worked for many years as the head of crisis management and overall crisis management plan and framework and that was augmented by a plan for hurricanes because we dealt with hurricanes across the Southeast and the overall East coast of the United States on a regular basis. And because that was one of our largest risks, we had fairly detailed plans about how to deal with that.
Bryan Strawser: In those plans, you should also have clear checklists and reference material by team and by role laid out in there for the folks bring to the table and begin to execute when those situations occur. For example, crisis communications in almost any crisis or incident, your communications or PR team, whatever you might call it, they’re an essential part of your process. They’re communicating, they’re are likely managing communication internally and externally through all of your internal channels. That could be your intranet, email, Slack, or Microsoft Teams or a similar tool. They’re managing your externally facing communications. Here are social media, direct interactions with the press, your website press releases. There’s a lot of different vehicles for them to share. You might have IVR messages for your support center. You might have to message within your application or your SaaS if that’s the business that you’re in.
Bryan Strawser: But your crisis communications team, at least for the things that you expect that you are at risk for, as you’re building these plan annexes should have prepared statements that at least serve as a starting point for these situations. That way when you’re in the incident or crisis situation, your comms team has a library of material to pull from in order to start that messaging process. They should have a solid holding statement that can be used early on, particularly if it’s something that comes at you with no notice and you’re forced to communicate some things before you really understand the full scope and scale of what’s gone on. Your holding statement can be something as simple as, we’re investigating an incident and we will provide more information as it becomes available. That we’re dedicating all of our available resources to managing the situation. Or it can be, we are currently working with law enforcement on a situation in one of our facilities, our thoughts and prayers are with law enforcement as they manage through this tragic situation.
Bryan Strawser: There’s a lot of possibilities for holding statements and this podcast today is really, this episode today is really not about how to write such a statement, but you should have them available so that your comms team can quickly respond as something happens. And again, as we’ve talked about previously on some of our episodes about reputation management in managing a crisis, if you do not say anything, if your answer is no comment or you can’t comment at this time, the press is going to write the story without you. It’s your chance to set the story, the narrative of the story, the way you want it to be. If you just no comment on the whole thing, it doesn’t mean it goes away. It means the press and others will tell the story for you and you miss the opportunity to at least, I won’t say spin, but to have an influence on the narrative that you want to have during that time.
Bryan Strawser: And again, this all has to happen quickly. As you think about what your plan annexes and your crisis communications plans should look like, you want the detail in there that enables the team to start with something, make appropriate changes for the facts of the incident and get the message out when your leaders are ready to give the thumbs up and go ahead. But having the plan written is not just enough. You have to practice the process of getting there because it will highlight your opportunities in how you expect the plan to work. And it will highlight for you where you have challenges in getting this done quickly.
Bryan Strawser: This is where the need for practice and realistic crisis exercises comes to play in your preparedness efforts. And you can start easy. You can start with a tabletop type of exercise where you’re just talking through what’s going on and you’re doing this cross-functionally within your crisis management team or your incident management team. But you’re talking about what’s going on and you’re getting familiar with each other’s plans and you’re talking about the interactions. And that’s a good place to start, but that is not the endgame for your exercises. You need to simulate and do realistic simulations over time so you get the team used to execute on the plan during the tabletop and we start to understand how information flows throughout the team. But then you need to move to a realistic simulation where you’re actually having to do the work. You’re having to write the communication. You’re having to make the decisions that will need to be made in the exercise.
Bryan Strawser: For example, just last week we were facilitating a crisis exercise centered on a data breach for a technology company and we were well into the exercise, several hours into a simulation. We were really not talking to the group at all. It was all being driven through injects and communication that was going on and calls from reporters and emails from reporters and there was a lot of kind of tension in the room. And in the simulation, one of the production systems that clients used was penetrated by a ransomware malware that carried a ransomware-type of encryption. And after a brief discussion, they made the tough decision and the tough decision was we’re going to disconnect the thing from the network because we can’t risk it spreading and it will give us a chance to kind of forensically examine what’s going on. And so they literally talked through with no plan to do this, by the way, this was part of their decision-making process. How are we going to disconnect this thing and then begin forensics examination and attempt to recover and make a better decision about what to do?
Bryan Strawser: That was a decision made in the moment that I thought was well executed in terms of discussion and the decision from the team. But we would never have gotten there in a tabletop simulation. It was the real moment of, oh gosh, this has gone farther than we expected. And now let’s talk about what do we do? Well, we should disconnect the thing, and then we can kind of go on from there in terms of what’s next in the simulation.
Bryan Strawser: Again, I think you have to practice this for real. You have to write the communications, you have to make the decisions in the moment according to what your plan calls for. But our kind of path I think for exercises is you start with tabletops and kind of learn what those team interactions look like and what’s in each other’s plans. Move to realistic simulations where you’re actually practicing realistic scenarios and having to do the work, write the communications, publish the communications, make the decisions. And then I think you move to unannounced simulations that are realistic, that contain the kind of slow build that a real incident does. And see it, do you take the preparation steps that you really need to take as you begin to see the warning signs and early indicators that something’s going on?
Bryan Strawser: If you don’t have a crisis communications function in your organization or you don’t have crisis management expertise that’s on your team, I think that’s okay. It’s not a common thing in a small to medium enterprise to necessarily have that kind of specialization within your organization. Then hire someone to help you. Bring in an expert to consult or be available to help your team develop the skills that they need, the muscle memory that they need to conduct exercises like this that help your organization mature and grow in their crisis management and communications capability.
Bryan Strawser: Again, clear roles and responsibilities. Be prepared for known risks and threats. Have a good decision-making framework. Practice your plans, starting with tabletops and then move to realistic simulations. And then unannounced realistic simulations or fully integrated exercise if you want to follow the FEMA and DHS terminology. And if we can help you in any way, develop your exercise strategy, conduct exercises or coach your team through some of these things, drop us a note at contact@bryghtpath.com or via phone at (612) 235-6435. Thanks for listening. We’ll have a new episode next week.
How do you build a rockstar team to drive your resiliency initiatives? Or your cross-functional crisis management team?
In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser, along with Consultant Bray Wheeler, take on these questions, using the New England Patriots as an example of how to build a rockstar team.
Topics discussed include rockstar talent, working for the greater team, doing your job, helping each other succeed, cross-functional team development, and more.
Related Blog Posts & Episodes * Episode #20: Down the stairs to the basement * Episode #47: A Crisis Team is not an Academic Debating Society * Webinar: Shots Fired – Leading in an Active Shooter Incident
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. This is Bryan Strawser, principal and chief executive here at Bryghtpath.
Bray Wheeler: This is Bray Wheeler, consultant at Bryghtpath.
Bryan Strawser: And I’m sure this is going to engender a whole ton of comments, but I want to confess that I am a New England Patriots fan.
Bray Wheeler: I too am also a New England Patriots fan.
Bryan Strawser: And I feel like I can come to this claim legitimately. I lived in New England from 1998 to 2005, and I remained loyal to the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox ever since then despite living in Minnesota and being married to a Minnesota native who is not a fan of any of those teams.
Bray Wheeler: No, that can’t be true.
Bryan Strawser: It is true.
Bray Wheeler: I, however, while born, raised, to my mother’s chagrin, from Minnesota, in terms of my allegiances she wishes I was more of a Minnesota fan, I come by it by blood. My dad grew up out there, and I still have half my family still lives out in that area, so I come to it by blood organically.
Bryan Strawser: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Bray Wheeler: But the reason we’re bringing that up is…
Bryan Strawser: We want to talk about how the New England Patriots relate to building a team of rock stars, essentially. They were kind of the example that was on our mind as Bray and I were talking about this topic this morning as we were finalizing what we were going to talk about for the podcast. But the focus of today’s show is about really recruiting the best possible talent and building that into an effective team of rock stars. And having watched the New England Patriots just simply demolish the New York Jets last night.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. I think that this is a topic that was on our minds.
Bray Wheeler: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Well, I think one of the things that we had kind of talked about too, and we’ve talked about it in the past offline, is really around their ability to take players of all sorts of caliber and insert them into the right positions to succeed, or find what it is that they’re really good at, or something that people are overlooking, and being able to insert it into their culture, their process, and get the most out of them to the team’s benefit. And doing it in a way that minimizes head-cases, minimizes controversy, minimizes distractions, all that kind of stuff, and really channels it into what is the team there to do? And that’s to win a football game and to do it as effectively as possible.
Bryan Strawser: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah, I mean, the way I think about the Patriots as it relates to business around this is they have a handful of people who are among the best to play the role. Tom Brady certainly kind of being the kingpin of that. But there’s a number of extremely talented men on that team. Julian Edelman, Dante Hightower, the McCourty twins. There are others. Gostkowski, who’s currently on the injured reserve. And there are others. But these guys are among the top players in the league, but they’re surrounded by a lot of players who nobody talks about as being the top four, five, six, ten people in the position. It’s the whole when put together that carries the day.
Bryan Strawser: And I think the business relationship I think about, the business compared to this that I think about when I think about effective teams I’ve been on, there have been a couple of people that have been truly rock stars at what they do. Who you looked at and you were like, man, that person going to going to move quickly, they’re going to do more than just this. And those folks were candid and blunt in some cases and outspoken in meetings, but at the end of the day, they came together as a team.
Bray Wheeler: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Bryan Strawser: I imagine that’s what happens with the Patriots. You’ve got all this individual talent, but Bill Belichick finds a way to meld them into a winning organization. And they do it over, and over, and over, and over. That’s how I think about that team of rock stars in the business world where it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a couple of outsized egos of people who are tremendous individuals in their own right, they have to be able to come together as the team of rock stars in order to accomplish the thing that you’re trying to do.
Bray Wheeler: To the benefit of the team.
Bryan Strawser: To the benefit of the team.
Bray Wheeler: And with team support for that outsized ego.
Bryan Strawser: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. You know, they can talk all they want because they are super talented, but I’ve got to tell you, when they come in the locker room there’s none of that when we’re out there conducting business. I think that’s huge. And certainly as a person who’s been on teams in various capacities, and still, on teams in various capacities, I know personally that’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for the person that shows up for the team and isn’t about the exclusion of somebody else within that team. It’s really about, yeah, they might talk and bolster and have that outside ego, but really it’s about the team, and you’re there for the benefit of the team, and you’re willing to bring other people along with you.
Bryan Strawser: I know I was going through interviews at some point in my career, like 2003, 2004, about being promoted in the field at the organization that I was working at at the time. And I was in a position where I was running a team of about a hundred folks, 14-ish managers and then a bunch of people under them that were non-exempt, and I had an opening. And this had come up in the interview. Tell me about your team. Well, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I’ve got one opening. Or somebody asked me, do you have any openings on your team? There’s was a couple of mounting attempts, but there was a manager position at a location in Connecticut, or wherever it was. And they go, oh, what are you looking for for that job?
Bryan Strawser: I said, well, there’s two things. I mean, the job is this and so I need someone who can fulfill the requirements of the job. And I obviously would like to have somebody who can move ahead and do more in the organization, because we were growing like gangbusters and needed future talent. But I said, you know, the other thing I’m missing is I need somebody that has some strong investigative experience because we’re kind of weak in that area. And I think that a good person in this role who has a good investigative background at another retailer, law enforcement, something to give them some drive and some expertise, would be valuable have on the team to help fill a gap in the team and help the peer group evolve.
Bryan Strawser: And so I think when you have an opening, you’re always thinking about that. I need to have somebody who can do the role, but what’s the contribution to the team? And of course, there’s cultural fitness too. By cultural, I mean the culture of your team.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: If your team is about, as I hope it is, cooperation, and candid feedback, and helping each other, and holding each other accountable, the lone actor doesn’t fit in that. You need someone who is willing to buy into that as the culture or it’s not going to work.
Bray Wheeler: Right. Because yeah, it has almost nothing to do with any of the other external factors. It’s really what is the team about? And how are they positioning themselves to work together and do they all have an understanding of the common goal?
Bryan Strawser: Right.
Bray Wheeler: You know, if somebody’s got a different goal than we’re here to minimize incidents, or we’re here to successfully navigate the company through an issue, or we’re trying to win a Superbowl, if they’re there for other reasons they’re more than likely going to stand out and not to the team’s benefit.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah, I mean, again, I think this goes back to the question of the broader team. How do you build a team of rock stars? Part of it is finding the right rock star to fit the hole that you have on the team. I mean, I think another example, and it was on my mind because there was a survey I took this morning for like Inc. Magazine or something about small businesses, and it asked a question about is your small business digitally enabled? And I was like, well first of all, whose isn’t in this day and age. But fine.
Bray Wheeler: Right. Unless you’re operating a small lumber company in the middle of Alaska.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. Well right. So I’m taking the survey and it asked a couple of questions about is your business digital ready or whatever. They never defined it, which always frustrates me. But I was thinking about that in the context of like working here at Bryghtpath. If you can’t work digitally here, you can’t work here. That’s how we collaborate, right?
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: We use Slack, not email. For 99.9% of our internal discussions, we collaborate and debate and discuss things on Slack. We use Basecamp for project management, and for document collaboration, and for a lot of other collaborative things. Right down to like, hey, what swag should we order this year?
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Or hey, here’s my outline for the Secure360 Conference presentation. What do you think? And then just brace yourself for the impact that’s about to happen.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: But I was amused by that question. But I think it goes back to the part that we were just talking about in terms of hiring for the team, right? If I interviewed a candidate, and this did happen last year, I interviewed someone to work here and they were like, well, I don’t really do any of the online collaboration stuff. And I’m like, I mean, why not? Tell me why?
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Well, face to face conversation, and this and that and the other thing. And I’m like, yeah, but we have clients that are not here.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: They’re not here in the Twin Cities, and we don’t see them face to face all that often.
Bray Wheeler: Can’t fly in just to have a five-minute conversation.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. So I mean, but that’s our culture.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: That’s how we have chosen to operate. And so anyone that we bring in to work here has got to buy into that culture. We have to understand that in the part of the interviews or be willing to be open to it. But that’s table stakes to be a part of the team here.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: That’s how we work. You don’t come to the office as often as Marie and I, or others.
Bray Wheeler: No. Yeah.
Bryan Strawser: And for a while, you didn’t come here very often at all. But it didn’t impact your work.
Bray Wheeler: No. No. No. Maybe my sanity a little bit.
Bryan Strawser: Locked up at home with four kids.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah. Not being able to be locked in my office and doing work by myself. But yeah, I mean that ability to kind of blend into what the culture is. Part of that’s the needs of the organization. You know, especially in our case, we have, to your point, clients all over the place. We’re spread out around the Twin Cities. We have to be able to be nimble to make it work. I mean, to be able to just do the work. And that’s just a part of our culture.
Bryan Strawser: There’s another aspect to all of this too, I think, about the team collaboration portion of this. And that is I think we should clarify that in none of this, what we’re talking about, are we saying that there shouldn’t be conflict, and there shouldn’t be disagreements, and there shouldn’t be candid feedback or even people getting pissed off. I think those are all appropriate things for teams to go through. But when they’re over, when you’ve made the decision as a group, or the leader has decided what you’re going to do, then that needs to be the end of that and you move forward as a team until you’ve agreed to revisit the decision that’s been made.
Bryan Strawser: I know when I was in my last organization, when I was in the field as a security leader, I was partnered with a business leader. And we were the only two people at that level in that group. And we had an HR partner, I should clarify. So there were three of us. But we were it. Right? There was nobody at our level, else, at that group level, that was out in the field managing stuff. And I remember my boss pulled me aside one day, who was at a regional level, and he goes, hey, so there are some scuttle butts rolling around that you guys don’t have conflict, the three of you. Right? That you just don’t disagree. And I’m like, yeah.
Bray Wheeler: The problem is, on the one hand, what’s the problem?
Bryan Strawser: One, what’s the problem? But not really, because I understood. I mean, he just thought that we weren’t challenging each other. And I go, look, when we came together because we had opened this area together, the three of us. I said, look, when we started this thing a year ago, one of the things that we to all talked about privately and agreed upon is that our disagreements would be between us and that was it, and we would decide. And unless it violated…
Bryan Strawser: I’m in a silo in terms of I’m a security leader, and I don’t report to the business leader. And the HR leader is in the HR org and does not report to the business leader. As long as the HR guy doesn’t feel like we’re being unethical from an HR standpoint, and I’m not violating the things I’m supposed to be doing here in corporate security, it’s his business. And if I’m following your strategies, and we’re not violating that, and we’re following the HR strategies, and we’re not violating that, then that disagreement that goes on happens between the three of us in private, and no one is going to see a crack in that leadership team, because they can’t.
Bray Wheeler: Right. Yeah.
Bryan Strawser: That’s how we get everything done because everyone sees us on the same page. And then nobody, nobody, can play us off of each other.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: We’re in agreement. And when we find things that happen, at that happens, we talk about it in private. Because I did have a manager, one of the managers at one of our sites tried that, and that didn’t go well for him.
Bray Wheeler: No. Well, and I don’t want to say underlings or like kids, but there’s a little bit of that agreement that even my wife and I have arrived at.
Bryan Strawser: We’re in the same tribe.
Bray Wheeler: Behind the scenes, it a united front. And disagreements to the point where, I think a couple of weeks ago we got into an argument, and it was kind of a full family disagreement around what was going on, and frustrations were being shared. And my wife and I’s volume level went up from what it normally does when we’re talking about stuff to the point where the kids are coming up going, are you guys okay? Is something going to happen? No, we just had a disagreement. Well, you guys never fight. No.
Bryan Strawser: No, they just don’t.
Bray Wheeler: You just don’t see it. When there’s a disagreement, it’s happening behind the scenes. But that blends into, when you have a team of rock stars, it starts to mirror that family dynamic. That closeness where you have each other’s back, but inside the walls, yeah, there’s probably going to be a few butting heads, there’s going to be a little bit of frustration because you’re trying to arrive at that common goal. But to anybody outside, it’s going to look like a unified front that’s just humming, as I like to say. It’s just humming.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. But to me, these are all elements of just building that team of rock stars, right?
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: You bring in the best possible individual talent that fits the culture of your team, you lead with unity, you have these courageous candid conversations, and you come out of those discussions united about the direction that you’re going to go. If you have all of those elements, in my mind, then you built a pretty good foundation for success.
Bryan Strawser: But not everybody’s cut out for that. Not everyone is going to be willing to participate in the team that way.
Bray Wheeler: What do you think the differences are? So we’ve talked a lot about kind of our team kind of as an organization, and that kind of mirrors into probably functional areas within organizations. A security team, something like that. Is there any differences or any unique pieces that you would call out from a cross-functional team? So not necessarily a team that has the hierarchy structure, but really one that’s brought together, and I’m going to play the obvious, but a crisis management team of some sort. It doesn’t necessarily have to be that, but, you know, those cross-functional teams. What does that dynamic look like, and how can you build the kind of a team of rock stars that way? Particularly when you may not have control over who comes to the table.
Bryan Strawser: That’s a great question. I mean, I think you definitely need to find some ways to build that team collaboration. And I don’t want to overuse the term muscle memory, we use it a lot. But I think there’s something to be said about the muscle memory of collaborating in these cross-functional settings to achieve your objective of a crisis situation.
Bryan Strawser: And I think, too, you need to get this. My experience is that these kinds of cross-functional teams start in a relatively low trust environment. Not because teams don’t trust each other, but the players probably are not used to interacting around this problem.
Bray Wheeler: Oh, and there’s uncertainty, probably, around what is this?
Bryan Strawser: There uncertainly. How is this going to work?
Bray Wheeler: How much work do I have to do here? I get the, hey, the building’s on fire. I’ll chip in. But when it’s not on fire, what am I doing?
Bryan Strawser: Yeah. Why am I here? And in particular, if it’s a disruption or crisis where your function is not involved.
Bray Wheeler: Right. That’s really hard.
Bryan Strawser: What do I have to bring here? And the chances are there probably is a lot for you to bring. But you need to be open to the idea that you’ve got something to bring to the table.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: For something that doesn’t impact your area. But to get back to your original question, I think that when we’ve built crisis teams, cross-functional crisis management teams, in organizations, I think that starts off in a pretty low trust environment. Simply because they’ve never interacted like this before, and they’re trying to figure all this out, and what’s their role, and who’s in charge, and is that person in charge competent to be in charge? I mean, there’s a whole lot of things that go on. I’m bringing bad memories back for Bray here.
Bryan Strawser: So I think part of this is training the team, and, I think, just laying that issue on the table. But just building collaboration across organizational silos like this is really hard. It’s really hard. And be upfront about that. And talk with them about how they problem solves today across organizations, and how does that work, and what kind of discussions would they have. And I think helping them understand that this is not an academic debating society, right? We can talk about things for a while, but we need to do that before something bad happens because then we need to make decisions.
Bray Wheeler: Well, and recognizing this is the new norm. So regardless of where the culture was, what functions were doing what, what capabilities were doing what, if this is kind of the new direction of the organization or the new kind of capability that the organization is putting forth, this is where we’re kind of starting from. So airing some of that stuff upfront a little bit, but really kind of rallying everybody to say this the new team.
Bray Wheeler: I mean to go back to the Patriots, but really kind of any professional team, it’s a new team every year. Coaches change.
Bryan Strawser: That’s right.
Bray Wheeler: Staff changes. Front office changes. Players change. The whole nine yards. It’s a brand new team every year and they have to kind of come together and kind of coalesce around a similar culture, or in some cases, a completely different culture, depending on the level of success they’ve been having. But that’s a part of that. And it kind of bleeds into the mantra we were kind of talking about. The New England Patriots famous saying is-
Bryan Strawser: Do your job.
Bray Wheeler: Do your job. It doesn’t always work in a kind of organizational sense of just do your job. You know, it kind of comes across as just sit there and pump your work out and that’s it. But I think when you get into this kind of cross-functional, or just as kind of a more abstract mantra for the team, of do your job. That’s be engaging, show up, be prepared, be a part of it, jump in, disagree, agree, collaborate. Do your job. And a lot of that is part of the job, and that is a huge part of it.
Bray Wheeler: So it may not translate as direct as Bill Belichick can get away with. He’s quite the personality. But in terms of that group, in that environment, being an individual walking into that group, knowing that, hey, it’s a brand new team with brand new objectives, brand new values. We’re aligning for the organization regardless of kind of personality. It’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to show up to do that. And I think that that goes a long way in building that culture too. If everybody showing up with kind of positive intent and a willingness to collaborate and do those kinds of things, you’re probably more than halfway there.
Bryan Strawser: Yeah, I mean I couldn’t agree more. I think you illustrate well there in what you talked through around there is this element of you need to do your job. And part of the job is you and your silo that you’re bringing to the table in these cross-functional discussions, and part of the job is your ability to cut across the silo and be a part of a bigger team. I don’t think it’s any different than thinking about your role as a leader within your organization in your day to day job. That you have a role.
Bryan Strawser: You have kind of three managerial roles, right? You’re leading your function, your team that you’re the leader of. You’re a member of a team. Unless you’re the CEO, you have peers reporting to a boss. You and your peers are a team, and they have as much pull on your feedback and accountability and your accountability to them. And as a peer group, you’re constantly managing the boundaries of what your role is vis a vis the roles of the other teams. And sometimes those change. And then you have a role to be a leader to your boss in that you need to be able to give him feedback. Him or her, just to be clear. You need to deliver that feedback upwards to your leader, and sometimes to your leader’s leader, in a candid and forthright manner.
Bryan Strawser: And so I think it’s similar to that. You know, when you bring yourself to the job, you’re bringing yourself, you’re bringing your various managerial roles, and you’re bringing this kind of fit to the organization and what the organization needs. That’s all part of being a leader, whether you’re talking about leading your function, or as we talked about in the latter half of the episode here, talking about what’s your role on a cross-functional team? What’s your role as a member or leader of a crisis management team? And I think all of those things matter.
Bryan Strawser: And this isn’t too far off of what this whole concept of meta-leadership that the Harvard National Preparedness Leadership Program teaches.
Bray Wheeler: Yeah.
Bryan Strawser: That leading in these very difficult critical moments is about five things. It’s about yourself, it’s about situational awareness, it’s about running your silo, it’s about leading upward, and what I think is probably the most important one, which is your ability to cut across the organization. Lead horizontally across all these silos.
Bryan Strawser: And quite frankly, some folks can’t do that. They can’t see past their own nose, so to speak, to make that collaborative leadership and understand what another team is bringing to the table.
Bray Wheeler: Well, I think that the one piece that you touched on is that situational awareness which blends into that kind of self-awareness of you’re recognizing who you are, what you’re about, what you’re capable of kind of melding into, and understanding what that culture of the team is. And being able to recognize I’m going to have to do something different here because I want to be a part of this team or this isn’t the right fit and recognizing that. And that’s okay.
Bray Wheeler: And players leave the Patriots. They recognize, hey, this no longer is… In some cases it might be about the bigger paycheck. But sometimes it’s about, hey, I need a different cultural fit. This isn’t what I thought it was going to be. And for other players it’s when I show up to the Patriots, I’ve got to shut my mouth and I just have to do my work. Because if at the end of the day my goal is to win a championship, to have success, to get that ring, I’ve got to shut my mouth. And I can’t talk about how many yards I may or may not be getting, how many tackles I’m getting, how often I’m playing, how much I’m being utilized, all that kind of stuff. You have to kind of accept that that’s what you’re stepping into. And I think that’s a huge piece, too.
Bray Wheeler: Because as someone who would work as part of a team, having those people step in and go, yep, I’m here to do my work. How can I help you? Because we’re all driving towards that same goal. Which I think we kind of mentioned, beating it a little bit. But I mean it’s a huge piece is being willing to step into that cross-functional or just the functional team.
Bryan Strawser: Well, I think you bring up an interesting point about situational awareness in a way I hadn’t thought about it. And that is there’s a bigger picture to be seen in almost any circumstance. And we’ve talked about this a lot on the podcast when it comes to crisis management and crisis situations. That it’s important to understand what’s going on in front of you, but it’s just as important for the crisis leader to see the broader picture of what’s going on, and see these other threats in motion around you, and understand what’s going to influence or not influence the circumstance that you’re in.
Bryan Strawser: I was thinking about this in a more related way on Sunday watching the Vikings and the Detroit Lions play. Because there on the Detroit Lions is Danny Amendola who was with the Dolphins last year and with the Patriots for many years prior to that. And Amendola left as a free agent because he got more money somewhere else, which was Miami. And then Miami released him. Of course, Lion’s coach is a former defensive coordinator for the Patriots. The Lions picked him up coming into the season or coming into last season, I think it was.
Bryan Strawser: But my point related to all this so herein lies the trade-off that you make to be a part of a team. Do you want more money? In this case, Amendola took the money to go to the Dolphins. More money than the Pats were going to pay him. And so he’s made more money in the last three years. No rings. And not a great experience in Miami for him because they were horrible. They’ve continued to be horrible. At least a little better in Detroit.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: So what’s the trade-off? Do you want to remain as a part of a great team and have the chance to win, or do you want to make more money? Now there’s no guarantee the Pats were going to keep him anyway.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: Right? I mean, nobody knows what those conversations were. But that’s what it looked like. I’m going to make more money, so I’m going here.
Bray Wheeler: Right.
Bryan Strawser: As opposed to staying here and potentially taking equal or less money, but getting two more Superbowl rings.
Bray Wheeler: Well, and that’s part of the kind of self-awareness, situational awareness, and kind of understanding of the culture of the team. I think most people on that Patriots team recognize if they’re not doing their job or fitting to what is the established culture, they are no longer a part of that organization.
Bryan Strawser: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Bray Wheeler: And there will come a time where you will not be a part of that organization. And I think for right, wrong, people’s personal emotional opinion to it, not to debate Belichick’s philosophy, is walking into a team like that, within any organization, understanding that this is a team, if you don’t perform, you’re out. If this is a team that they’re always looking for the kind of fresh ideas and new ideas, and most people stick around for two, three, maybe four years, and then they kind of move on. This isn’t a team of lifers, so to speak. Understanding that that’s kind of what the team is, and your job is to show up for the amount of time that you’re there and to do those things. Great. but at a certain point, it may come a time to move on.
Bray Wheeler: And I think that’s also something to kind of think about and part of the challenge of maintaining that team of rock stars. So you might be able to kind of form a team right up front, or fall into or get yourself a team of rock stars, but at a certain point transitions are coming, changes are coming. Growth happens. Sometimes shrinkage happens. The team has to be willing to flex and kind of evolve as it moves through.
Bryan Strawser: So to summarize, hire the best possible talent you can get your hands on.
Bray Wheeler: Agree.
Bryan Strawser: That fits your culture.
Bray Wheeler: Agree.
Bryan Strawser: That fits your expectations for how the team should operate and what’s called the operating system, the platform of how your organization works.
Bray Wheeler: Agree.
Bryan Strawser: And as the leader, hold the team accountable to those expectations. Not just their individual performance, but understanding that their interaction with the rest of the team and your leadership of that team is what makes the team great.
Bryan Strawser: That’s it for this edition of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode.
In this episode, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser walks through the new Bryghtpath Global Security Framework. You could also call it a corporate security framework if that’s the frame of reference you prefer to use.
During Bryan’s career, he spent over 21 years working as a part of the Global Security Team for a Fortune 30 organization, ultimately spending the last six years leading that organization’s business continuity, crisis management, and global intelligence function. But Bryan also spent a lot of time working in and supporting different parts of the global security organization.
This framework came about after working with a client here in Minnesota who was working to establish a global security capability and happened to ask us where they should start. We put this framework together from our standpoint representing “Here’s our view of how we would think about building a global security program.”
Related Blog Posts & Episodes * Episode #6: Leading during an Active Shooter Incident * Episode #18: The Race * Episode #26: The Top 12 Global Risks of 2018 * Episode #28: Protecting your Senior Executives * Episode #30: Threat Management in Educational Institutions * Episode #39: Travel Safety & Security Programs * Episode #49: Preventing Workplace Violence * Webinar: Insider Threat – The Threat lurking inside your organization * Blog: An overview of Physical Security Penetration Testing (Red Teaming) * Blog: Current best practices for mailing screening
In addition to the resources mentioned in this article, our friends at the Security Executive Council have a significant number of resources & knowledge available to organizations.
Episode Transcript Bryan Strawser: Hello and welcome to the Managing Uncertainty Podcast? This is Bryan Strawser, Principal and CEO here at Bryghtpath. In this week’s episode, we’d like to walk through our new framework for a global security program, or you could call it a corporate security framework if that’s kind of the frame of reference that you prefer to use. During my career, I spent, prior to founding Bryghtpath, I spent about 21 years working on a global security team for a Fortune 30 organization, ultimately spending about six years leading that company’s business continuity, crisis management, disaster recovery, and global intelligence function, but I had a lot of experience working and supporting different parts of the global security business. Not too long ago, we were working with a client here in the Twin Cities, who was trying to stand up the global security capability, and so we built this framework from our standpoint kind of representing, “Here’s our view of how we should think about building a global security program.” Let’s take a look at this.
Bryan Strawser: Of course, if you go to the episode page, you’re able to download our Global Security framework as a graphic and able to kind of follow along as we take a look at how to do this. Starting on the left, the first category for a Global Security framework is physical security capability, and we really think about this and investigations, which is the second category here. We really think about these as being the principal, kind of foundational starting place for a Global Security framework, the ability to secure facilities in order to keep people and assets safe, and then second, the ability to investigate things that are happening that are outside the norm or that might be criminal in nature that affects the integrity of the organization. With physical security, we start with the priorities, the life safety of employees, a workplace violence prevention program, so, “How do we prevent workplace violence through training and policies, and things along those lines?” The third is threat management.
Bryan Strawser: Once we’ve had an incident of a threat reported internally, externally, social media, email, how does that get handled? What’s the threat management program? How is the threat triaged, and then if necessary, formally assessed, and then plans put into place? You can look at, or listen to our previous episodes on Workplace Violence and Threat Management Frameworks, and risk factors and escalations for ideas and more of a deep dive into that area. The fourth area under physical security is planning and design, so this is for new or remodel facilities, but what is the application of crime prevention through environmental design?
Bryan Strawser: How are we planning these facilities with security requirements in mind from the beginning, et cetera? Access control. What is the approach to securing access to the facilities? This could be key control. It could be a card access system. It could be biometrics, but what is the program, the official program for maintaining and controlling access to the facility?
Bryan Strawser: Next, the security presence. What’s the visible security presence, whether that’s security officers, plainclothes security individuals, armed security, robots or video analytics, or other things that are clearly visible that create that security presence that deters crime and kind of reinforces the right behavior? Then lastly, in physical security, just culture, and awareness, culture in terms of, “What’s the culture around following the security controls that have been put into place?”, and awareness around, “How is security communicating what they’re doing? What kind of material is out there, intranet, digital, internal social media, external social media, posters and things like that, that help drive awareness of the security program?” That’s physical security to us, one of the two major foundational elements of a global security strategy and program.
Bryan Strawser: The second is investigations, the ability to investigate something that is abnormal, or something that is wrong, or something that has been reported. The first area is just investigative policies. “What are the roles and responsibilities within the organization? How are investigations conducted? What are the ground rules around that?”
Bryan Strawser: The second is we expect the investigative capability of a global security team to be independent, independent in that although at the end of the day, we all have a boss, but independent in that they are driven by the security organization who also only reports to a Senior Executive, and the investigators are able to investigate with a high degree of independence. That doesn’t mean they’re not talking with lawyers, internal or external to the organization. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t taking direction, but it does mean that they’re able to follow the investigation where the investigation leads. The third area here in investigations is just, “What are the investigative capabilities and technologies? Do they have the tools or case management systems or other things that they need?”
Bryan Strawser: The next area in investigations is compliance and investigations around our major anti-bribery laws and our major anti-terrorism laws. This is the OFAC regulations, the Office of Foreign Asset Compliance, where we’re verifying that we’re not doing business with third-parties that U.S. companies are prohibited from doing business with. Then, paired with that, the FCPA, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, where we’re validating that our organization is not bribing individuals in foreign governments or in foreign countries in order to do business. Next is exception reporting. “What’s available to the investigation’s function in order to detect and find exceptional behavior?”
Bryan Strawser: By exceptional, I mean abnormal things that stand out, and they may be legit and not criminal in nature and not impacting the integrity of the organization, but there’s reports that allows us to see exceptions and allows investigations to commence investigators to dig deeper into those exceptions. Then lastly, that your organization has an integrity or a reporting hotline, an integrity hotline or a reporting hotline, something that allows them or allows employees, and vendors, and parts of your supply chain and others to report unethical behavior, and that those hotline reports are then investigated and sent to the right unit within the organization to follow up on. Someone can call the integrity hotline for a sexual harassment issue that probably goes to HR, or employment relations attorneys or something like that, but something of a security nature should come to the security team for a follow-up investigation. Physical security and investigations, that’s kind of our foundation for our Global Security framework. In the next section, we start dealing with crisis management. It is the first category.
Bryan Strawser: Here, do we have a crisis management program? Do we have a defined crisis management team? Have we built a defined escalation process and a crisis management framework that allows for decisions to be made through a collaborative process, and then communicating the results of those decisions? To us, those three things are where we start. We have a defined crisis team with clear roles and responsibilities, we have a process to escalate things to that team, and for them to communicate upwards to executives into the board if that’s applicable, and then we have a framework on how to collaborate and make decisions and communicate the results of those decisions. Once those things are in place, then we look for a specific scenario, a crisis planning.
Bryan Strawser: “What are the top 10, 12, 15, 20 risk-based scenarios that we need to have specific plan annexes for?” Sometimes we build, think of something called a playbook that has all of this kind of laid out. Here’s our crisis playbook, and now we’re going to execute upon the things in that. Then lastly, that we have a good process, crisis management process for simulations and exercises. The next bucket is travel safety and security. This isn’t always applicable to organizations, but if you are traveling, and particularly, if your employees are traveling internationally to higher-risk locations than where you’re typically doing business, you probably need some element of a travel safety and security program.
Bryan Strawser: It starts with a legal concept around duty to care that you are planning and making life safety and safety, and the security of your employees is important to your organization. Travel safety and security starts with the duty to care, but it moves relatively quickly into travel policies like, “What are the travel policies? Are we looking at the risk of countries, or cities, or regions that employees are traveling to, and that we understand that there is a process in place in order to restrict travel and put some guidelines in place to ensure the safety and security of our travelers?” For example, in my previous employer, we had a country risk assessment process and a travel security council. Through that travel security council, we could bar travel to certain countries or certain regions because they were not safe for folks to go to in our opinion, but again, this varies by organization.
Bryan Strawser: We then look for companies to risk rate, countries whether you’re working with a company like International SOS or Control Risks group to use their country risk ratings or you’re doing something internally. Then, we look for monitoring for major events that are happening near where your travelers are at or where they’re going. We talk about this intelligence monitoring, but it pairs closely with a travel tracking capability where you have the ability to see where your employees are at, and you’re able to see the events around them that might create risk. For example, a few years ago, one of our clients, there was an Active Shooter event going on in Germany, and one of our clients, his Chief Financial Officer was there actually within about half of a kilometer of where the event was going on. We knew that he was there.
Bryan Strawser: We had a travel tracking capability. We were able to quickly make contact with him and get him to a safe location, and then we’re able to evacuate him safely back to his hotel. That’s the kind of travel tracking an event or intelligence monitoring that you really need to have in place. Then lastly, for travelers internationally, you’re going to want to have third-party medical and security support for when these events do happen or when someone gets sick. Particularly, in some parts of the world, you need a vetted medical provider or access to vetted medical providers.
Bryan Strawser: You do not want your folks just walking up to the nearest hospital or clinic because you will wind up having folks in places that are perhaps not safe and where they’re not getting the level of care that you’re going to want them to have. That’s travel safety and security. The next area talks about partnerships, and here, we’re looking at, “What are the Public-Private Partnerships for an organization and their connectivity with the global security team?” We have these in several areas, and where your prioritize here would really depend upon the maturity of your organization and where you’re operating and what those risks are, but some of the partnerships we should look at are with emergency management agencies, and you have these typically local county, state, and then federal across the United States, and other countries are somewhat similar to this. Some countries only have this at a national level.
Bryan Strawser: Law enforcement, “What is your relationship with local law enforcement and law enforcement at different levels that may impact the business that you’re in?” If you are operating, if you’re a significant global operator, you will want to have partnerships with the intelligence community. You can look at the Public-Private Partnership programs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence or through the state departments, Overseas Security Advisory Council, or through the FBI’s Domestic Security Alliance Council, or for smaller organizations, FBI’s InfraGard, but are you getting access to the information that you need to make sure that you’re making the right moves as an organization to secure your business and protect your team? You also have the opportunity to interact with peers, so this is a kind of industry connectivity through your trade groups or local, regional and state Chambers of Commerce. Then, in a really mature organization, we would look to see a public-private sector strategy and evidence of collaboration, that there’s a deliberate strategic effort to build partnerships with public sector agencies where the company has something to gain in terms of information and insight, perhaps an early look at some things, and the public sector agency gains from the company’s expertise and information about what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: The next category here is executive and event security. We lump these together because we typically see the same leader have responsibility for both, but in a large enough organization, this is about protecting your senior executives, perhaps at home, perhaps in travel, perhaps only at company events, perhaps it’s 24/7. This depends on your organization. The second part here is just major events planning, large company meetings, shareholder meetings, big vendor, financial community presentations. These are all possibilities of things that need to be planned, and then managed, and it requires a little different level of care, which is why we often see this aligned with executive protection.
Bryan Strawser: Then lastly, corporate aviation, perhaps you own or lease aircraft and operate them yourselves, or perhaps you have some kind of agreement with a company like NetJets or Flight Options or something else, but just the management of the security aspects of your corporate aviation unit, we would see that program falling into this area. The next category is an operation center or a GSOC, a Global Security Operations Center or just a SOC, a Security Operations Center. In a Global Security program, we look to see the operations centers set up as a single source of truth. They’re a trusted part of the organization that’s communicating what’s going on. They have a lot of information flowing in, and then they’re pushing out to communication that is relevant and timely and impactful and provides a good overview from a situational awareness standpoint of what’s going on.
Bryan Strawser: In large organizations, GSOC centers like this run 24/7. They’re actively monitoring a number of things going on around the country and world. They’re likely the starting point for an incident management process that then escalates into a crisis management or crisis leadership process, and we see a GSOC is being a really core to that, that they’re monitoring what’s going on. They’re kind of at the base of that crisis leadership process, even though you may have a crisis management team that comes in and does more as things go on. We also see GSOCs as being a place for centralized security operations.
Bryan Strawser: They may be dispatching security officers. They may be responding to a ShotSpotter alert and things along those lines. Then, getting to the far right of our framework graphic, we see an intelligence program as an important part of a Global Security framework, particularly in a more mature organization. We typically see kind of three categories of intelligence, and then kind of a foundational element here with intelligence. The first is geopolitical intelligence, like, “What’s going on around the world that may have an impact on us?”, looking at major events that are playing out
Bryan Strawser: May go as far as to look at just politics. I mean, as we’re recording this in September 2019, there are major political earthquakes going on in Great Britain, in the United Kingdom around Brexit. There’s a lot of things happening with that. There’s a lot of instability that’s being generated through the Brexit process in the U.K. and in London. There have been protests with thousands of people.
Bryan Strawser: If you operate in the U.K. or you have U.K. companies in your supply chain, or this is your next expansion market, then this geopolitical intelligence on what’s going on over there could be important to you. If you don’t, it probably has nothing to do with you. That’s a domain, an intelligence domain that could or couldn’t be important, depending upon your business. The second area for intel is corporate and reputational intelligence that we’re looking for information and intelligence that may impact our reputation. We might see an inbound threat on our intel radar screen so to speak, where an executive make a misstatement in the media, and now this is coming back at us on Twitter and gaining steam in terms of the story.
Bryan Strawser: The third category is cyber intelligence. Here, we’re looking at kind of a whole cyber threat picture. This may not belong in a global security team. It could be cyber intelligence is being managed by your cybersecurity organization or by your CSO, but we often find the intel component in global security. Then lastly, kind of a foundational element here is just public private partnerships in the intelligence community about your connectivity between your intel team if you have one internally and the intelligence community through some of the sources that we’ve mentioned before.
Bryan Strawser: Then, our last category here on the Global Security framework is the supply chain. First, we’re looking at end-to-end supply chain security from the dock, at your vendor’s warehouse, all the way until it shows up at your organization. “What’s the security of that supply chain? Who are you dependent upon to make that supply chain secure along the way?” This could be your ocean carriers.
Bryan Strawser: It could be air freight. It could be big common carriers like UPS and DHL, FedEx and others. Second is just a supply chain reputation. “Are you sourcing responsively from vendors that are not going to compromise the integrity of your organization?” Sometimes that requires an investigative capability to really dig into that, or perhaps you’re purchasing that information through a third-party.
Bryan Strawser: There’s the investigative capability within your supply chain, so if you got a truck that gets hijacked in Guatemala and it’s got your product onboard, how are you going to investigate that, and do you have any loss to begin with, and then how are you going to investigate it? Do you have access to the experts that can assist with an investigation at a location like that?” Then lastly, there’s the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism or CTPAT, that allows you access to the priority lanes in the U.S. ports because you’re following the requirements of the CTPAT program, which are a much greater level of security of your supply chain shipments and the integrity of your suppliers and such than a normal run-of-the-mill oceangoing or air freight shipment. That’s our Global Security framework. Again, we laid this out as our view of what a global security program should look like. We left out some foundational things like budgeting and IT capabilities and some of the things that are going to kind of be there as the foundation of any organization, but they’re the same …
Bryan Strawser: Those are really the same across different functions of a company, not just unique to global security, but this is our view of things companies should think about in terms of the elements of a global security program. Again, you can go to our page for this episode and download the Global Security framework, and then you get a nice, pretty PDF that you can follow along with as you listen to the episode or use it for other purposes as things go along. That’s it for this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast. We’ll be back next week with another new episode. Thanks for listening.