BCP Strategies for 2006: Swapping Fear for Logic

Okay, okay I know I've been a tad lazy over the last week getting over the fact that the holidays are actually over, so in order to get the old wheels greased again, I thought why not make a prediction about where business continuity and emergency management will be going in the new year.

In order for things to move along in a productive way, I believe planners will begin to make fundamental ways in which they approach continuity-based issues. We will see a move away from an orientation that is skewed toward a security guard mindset (i.e. "okay everyone, this is how we evacuate the building, and where we meet for a headcount"), to one that is positioned more like a CFO (i.e. "the return on investment if you opt for this strategy is $x"). When it comes down to it, the sale is always predicated on the return. Selling an idea based on fear does very well when the fear factor is spread all over the front page, but becomes challenging when people move their minds in other directions.

Let's see how this prediction pans out, shall we?