David Bowie - Changes (Olympia)

CDO.  Nope, it's not a typo for COD. It's a new job title (at least, it's new to me).  It stands for Chief Disruption Officer, and no, I'm not kidding.  I hadn't heard of it until yesterday when I ran across the term in an article with this eye-catching headline: "What Business Needs Is More Disruption..."  A little reading and subsequent web searching revealed that Chief Disruption Officer is not a person in charge of running amok.  So, rest easy, you don't have a new arch enemy.  You may, in fact, have an ally.

I guess the enemy or ally determination will depend on how you react to change - even the suggestion of change. That's because the job of a CDO is to propose and create changes, sometimes pretty radical ones.  According to Business Computing World, "a growing number of companies are promoting individuals to the role specifically to challenge the existing status quo, to identify traditional business models that have become ineffective within the business, and to promote innovation."

Does that make you squirm or smile?  A bit of both?  A professional upsetter of apple carts may sound like a headache (and a safety hazard!) to you.  But just imagine if that person became a champion of business continuity and preparedness!  And think about how you might help this change agent.  Continuity professionals are the recorders (and protectors) of business processes in your organization. That means you know how stuff works, and you're also likely to know what isn't working.

So, if your organization is hopping on the CDO bandwagon, maybe it's actually a good thing.  And even if it's not, getting good with change will serve you well.  For me, resistance to change can almost always be traced back to a bit of insecurity.  I think that's true for many of us.  I also think that vast majority of the time, we're insecure for no good reason.  You're good at your job.  You know what you're doing (and if you need help, DRI is here for that!).  So, stand tall (even I can do that at 5'2").  Keep an open mind.  Rise to challenges. Be flexible. And be confident.  I don't know if you're getting a CDO, but I can tell you that change is coming...that's one thing that never changes.

What's your MyDRI number?  Chances are its four or five digits long.  But Mark Riech, pictured here with DRI Director of Business Development Russell Wooldridge has a three-digit MyDRI number because he has been a certified professional in good standing since 1993! Mark and Russell ran into each other in Washington, D.C. where DRI International was exhibiting at CPM East.

Russell reports that the CPM crowd was eager to talk about public sector continuity, particularly DRI's public sector course and certification.  Russell was right there to answer any and all questions. If you have questions about becoming a Certified Public Sector Continuity Professional (CPSCP), click here or call our customer care center at (866) 542-3744.

Dan Mikulsky, a DRI MBCP and the product manager for business continuity within CSC's expanding cybersecurity practice, also attended the conference and spoke on DRI's behalf about certification and the public sector. Thank you Russell and Dan for everything that you do for DRI!  And thanks to Mark for stopping by to celebrate his years with DRI!

How to measure all things BCP is always a hot topic.  Here's a metric best served piping hot!  And press reports this week say it was used to assess the severity of the Oklahoma tornado impact.

"The Waffle House Index is an informal metric used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine the impact of a storm and the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery," according toWikipedia. "The measure is based on the reputation of the Waffle House restaurant chain for staying open during extreme weather and for reopening quickly, albeit sometimes with a limited menu, after very severe weather events such as tornados or hurricanes. The term was coined by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in May 2011, following the Joplin tornado; the two Waffle House restaurants in Joplin remained open after the EF5 multiple-vortex tornado struck the city on May 22. According to Fugate, 'If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad.""

The Index has three levels, based on the extent of operations and service at the restaurant following a storm:

Green: the restaurant is serving a full menu, indicating the restaurant has power and damage is limited.

Yellow: the restaurant is serving a limited menu, indicating there may be no power or only power from a generator or food supplies may be low.

Red: the restaurant is closed, indicating severe damage.

According to The Guardian, "There is only one Waffle House in Moore, the suburb worst hit by the tornadoes. The restaurant, located at 316 SW 19th Street and which normally offers a southern-tinged menu that includes grits, hash browns, and sausage and egg biscuits as well as hamburgers, was closed on Tuesday."

But, The Guardian reports that "the Moore tornado was classed as a yellow on the Waffle House index because managers were hoping to get it up and running soon. 'It is a yellow because we are hoping to get a generator,' said Kelly Thrasher, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based restaurant chain. 'Once we have the generator, we will be able to serve a limited menu, maybe a full one.' She said the branch had survived the storm intact. 'There is no damage to the building. Power is out and there is no gas or water but we do not have any physical damage. We are trying to get it open so we can serve first responders and the community."

Grey's Anatomy Sneak Peek "Perfect Storm"

If you've never seen the popular medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, now is the time.  The season finale was last night and the storyline of the last two episodes is all about the hospital's continuity, preparedness, and crisis management.

Am I suggesting that you can learn from a TV show about a fictional hospital staffed by beautiful and handsome fake doctors?  Uh, no.  But anyone can catch the show online, and it might make an interesting awareness building exercise.  The show serves up a lot of material - power outage, back-up generator failure, an exploding bus, critical supply shortages, and much made-up mayhem.

Suggest that people in your organization tune in and have a contest to see who can identify what they managed to do right (not much) and who can point out the most missteps.  Or make a Top Ten list of what not to do based on the show and distribute it. Could be fun, informative, and get people thinking about preparedness.