In recent years, the world has witnessed a series of disruptive events that have tested the limits of organizational resilience:
- The COVID-19 pandemic affected global supply chains and workforce dynamics.
- A six-day blockage of the Suez Canal in March 2021 halted trade.
- The 2021 Texas power grid failure left millions without electricity.
- Wildfires in California continue to threaten infrastructure and operations.
And countless natural disasters have exposed vulnerabilities across industries. These events serve as reminders: disruption is inevitable, but resilience is optional.
Organizational resiliency is a strategic mindset. It’s the ability of a business to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of adversity.
Companies that have weathered storms successfully often share key traits:
- A culture of openness and trust, cultivated from the top down.
- Proactive imagination of potential disruptions, not reactive panic.
- Clear company objectives that guide decision-making under pressure.
- Strong relationships with vendors and customers, built on partnership.
- Employees who feel empowered and supported.
Creating a resiliency plan is an ongoing process. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Identify Key Assets: Pinpoint the assets critical to operations—people, technology, facilities, suppliers—and prioritize them based on their impact.
- Collaborative Risk Brainstorming: Engage both leadership and frontline employees to map out potential risks. Diverse perspectives lead to more comprehensive planning.
- Develop Interim Safeguards: Create contingency plans, such as sourcing materials from multiple suppliers or maintaining backup inventory.
- Customer-Centric Strategies: Customers who feel valued are more likely to remain loyal during tough times. Communication and empathy go a long way.
- Business Continuity Management (BCM): BCM focuses on emergency response, disaster recovery, and risk management. It’s the tactical arm of resiliency, designed to minimize damage and restore operations swiftly.
Organizations that invest in resilience today are helping to better position themselves to lead tomorrow. Ask yourself, “What if?” And more importantly, “Are we ready?”
Source:
“Raising the resilience of your organization.” McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/raising-the-resilience-of-your-organization. Accessed Oct 2, 2025.