In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic we did give a bit of attention to what risks exist and how governments may be planning for them. This interest may have diminished so why does the latest National Risk Register that has been published by the UK Government matter? Has it got any relevance to communicators? What does it mean to people living in the UK?
It may feel like a world away from the day-to-day concerns about paying the bills and dealing with personal issues. But understanding what risks exist and more importantly how we can be prepared or aware of them is crucial. It is how we can build individual, business and organisational, and community resilience. And if you are working in communication this is a vital opportunity to reassess your crisis communication plans and see if you are ready for these possible crises.
The Risk Register may be in the media headlines today but it isn't new but there is more detail included in this latest version. Three risks are being focused on by the media: pandemic, a potential energy crisis linked to the actions of Russia, and a pandemic. All this may feel unconnected to the work of communication professionals, but is it?
Like most crisis communication and emergency managers, I continually talk about the importance of being prepared, and of having plans that are ready to implement. I also encourage all communicators to view the organisation or business's risk register. After all, how can we be adequately prepared if we have not considered the likelihood and impact of these potential problems?
We all learnt a huge amount during the Covid-19 pandemic but as time moves on we may miss the opportunity of taking the learning and adapting and improving how we would respond in the future. There was a significant impact on internal communication and lots of improvements in how messages were shared. This has to be part of how any future pandemics or pandemic style events are addressed. Have we improved our business continuity and crisis plans in light of the increase in hybrid working? Could we hit the ground running and be effective with our communication if a pandemic appeared again?
During the winter 2022, we all started to think about the possibility of energy blackouts and what this would mean both to businesses and to how we would provide communication. This has clearly not gone away and is highlighted in the risk register. I had my own run through yesterday when there was a sudden energy cut. I had to dig out my emergency radio, torch, phone charger that I have as my back up. I was glad I had full battery in my laptop and my phone as it meant I was able to carry on working. Plans to respond to blackouts remain important for us all to have. (You can get a copy of my blackout document on my newly updated website here.)
Finally, we get to the ever present problem of extreme weather. In the past 12 months we have had a taste of what this actually means with wildfires in the UK, temperatures over 40 degrees in Europe, flooding in many areas and a lot more. It is no longer a problem affecting those outside the UK and we have to be as prepared for the impacts of this as we do the potential for a cyber attack. Have you considered how you would continue to operate if there was a flood, fire, or temperature risk? Are you able to get information out quickly? What are your critical processes and could they still operate? How would you support staff who may suddenly lose everything?
A little plea that you don't ignore the report that came out today. Instead, use it as an opportunity to discuss what plans you have in place, what you may need to do and how we can all be more ready and resilient in the face of future emergencies.
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