In An Emergency
Does your team have a plan for an emergency situation?
Los Angeles is burning. Dallas might get a half-foot of snow. Earthquakes, blizzards, wildfires, tornadoes, terror attacks, etc.— we need to be prepared for the unexpected.
Have a fire-drill (just like the ones we used to have in school) for your team and/or your entire office, so people know how to evacuate in an emergency. Include a checklist (or other system) to make sure that everyone is out of the building. Designate a chosen “rally point” like the parking lot, so people know where to gather outside. Include plans for any additional concerns (like how to get the person who uses a wheelchair down from the 4th floor office or who brings out the office dog) and discuss the solutions, so people know what to do. Post a hard copy, in case the power goes out.
Have an emergency plan in place so that your people know that they are not expected to come into the office (or stay in the office) in emergency situations. They may need to evacuate the area and/or take care of their families, and that, of course, comes first. Make sure you all share the same set of expectations on this; there are horror stories like the supervisor (who was in a different state at the time) who still expected people to come into the office during a hurricane.
Don’t be the kind of boss who expects people to work from home if that home might catch fire within the next few hours! Anticipate that productivity will go down when there are widespread power outages, as well.
Know who on your team might be “activated” in an emergency situation. Some of your people might be in the National Guard or be volunteer firefighters, etc., and they will be especially busy with the emergency response.
Have multiple communication channels for keeping your people informed of the situation and to get updates on their safety. Texting tends to be the best option when there is an emergency, as the phone circuits can get overwhelmed. Check in on your people, and ask them to check in with you when they can.
Back up your files and records, preferably off-site, and store important items on-site in fireproof/waterproof boxes or safes. You don’t want to consider risking your life for something like tax records.
Stay safe, everyone!
(image source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/brush-fires-erupt-los-angeles-life-threatening-wind-dry-weather/story?id=117432009)