I wrote yesterday about Farmer Herman needing help in moving his barn. I was about to solicit 344 people to help me move my house as our area was deluged with over 5 inches of rain and 75 mph winds -- all in the dark as the power was out for 14 hours.
In the morning, I was one of the many at Lowes looking at generators and back up plans for a non-functioning sump pump. I asked my contractor friend why he did not already have one. His answer: “They just sit around.” The Lowes manager replied: “Yes, they sit around, until they don’t.” Like now.
What is the equivalent (or maybe even literally) the generator for your organization? Think of the report, client access information, equipment or data that is essential for your operation and how you might have a back up plan if your usual way of obtaining it is not available.
Maybe you could you print out a copy of your staff contacts instead of relying on your phone to obtain them, or send your customer database to the cloud. Another idea is to print out key data on occasion or have a copy of your key data points at home. Perhaps you could purchase a flashlight for each desk in your office or pick up an extra supply of batteries and a radio.
The question is not “if” you will need a detour, it is a matter of “when.” The time to plan for a generator is before the storm, not during it.
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