I can still recall a moment from my childhood where my world was shaken to its very foundation by an Uncle of mine. We were at a family picnic and knowing I had just learned the basics of addition and subtraction, he knelt before me and asked a very peculiar question: “How many fingers do you have?” With a proud smile, I immediately let him know that the correct answer was ten.
“I’m sorry sweet child, you actually have eleven” my Uncle replied. So convincing was his statement, I had to look down at my hands for a recount…
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As I sat down to write this post, I realized that for the first time since that fateful ’11 finger day’, I was about to boldly state my opinion as fact and there wasn’t a single person alive who could argue against it. Moreover, unless you’re my Uncle, I dare you to try. *wink*
In my daily experience speaking to businesses of all types, I must commend the organizations I come across that have taken the initiative to put a Disaster Recovery Plan in place. It’s a clear indication that they have tried to plan for both the expected and unexpected events that may impact their day-to-day operations.
Unfortunately, the fact remains that the majority of businesses have never tested their recovery plan. How can you be secure in your organization’s ability to function as expected during an actual crisis without first putting it to the test?
Perhaps the word ‘test’ attaches a ‘pass/fail’ criterion and should instead be looked at as more of a practice or drill. Most businesses who have been through a testing of their recovery plan will tell you that there is no such thing as a ‘failed’ test. These exercises are designed to bring certain realities to the surface that may not have been thought about without going through a dry-run. I can certainly understand the satisfaction of being able to put a checkmark in the ‘DR Plan’ box and moving along with the rest of the day’s agenda, but without actually testing the validity of your plan, you can never be certain it will work when needed.
Testing may seem to be a monumental task. At Agility Recovery, we encourage our members to test annually – ensuring their plan stays current, well documented and effective. With staff dedicated solely to assisting members with these needs, we are constantly striving for ways to encourage businesses to test their continuity initiatives. Testing should be a vital component of your continuity plan, not an afterthought.
At this point, I’m curious to know if you’ve found a bone of contention. I think it’s difficult to argue the solid tried and true saying “practice makes perfect”. Where would we be without wedding rehearsals, spring training, or fire drills? Tiger Woods would have no problem telling you that he can attribute almost all of his success to practice. There isn’t any logical harm that can come out of practicing, rehearsing or testing something as important as a disaster recovery plan, which is why we invite you to attend a FREE educational webinar “Best Practices of Testing Your Recovery Plan” on October 28 at 2 p.m. (EST).
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My Uncle continued, “if you say you have ten fingers, then on your left hand, count backward from ten.” I followed his instructions implicitly. Starting at my thumb I counted down to my pinky, “ten, nine, eight, seven, six.”
He looked at me now, smiling. “And how many fingers are on your other hand?”
“Five.” I answered hesitantly.
“Now my boy,” his grin widening, “What is six plus five?”
I learned a very important lesson that day – no matter how certain you are of something, there is always someone willing to argue against you.
With that said, any business looking to survive an interruption (expected or otherwise) would have a hard time arguing the importance of testing, as our preparedness can only make us, and our processes, better.
Oh don’t worry, I’m not naïve, I know there are a few of you out there that have found something to argue with me about. I can almost feel the blood pressure rising in some of you as you read this, angered at my gall to tell you what is ‘fact’ without the opportunity for a fervent discussion. For this, I offer my sincerest apologies. Of course, if I have made you angry, just do what was taught to me to help calm yourself down.
Put your hands straight out in front of you, close your eyes…and count to eleven. And feel free to leave a comment below.
- Jonathan Prasad
Agility Recovery Solutions
Agility Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Solutions
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