Dear Sirs, Dear Madams,
The new ISO 22361 was published at the end of October 2022. Thus, a valid basis for the further development of crisis management was laid on the basis of an ISO standard. In our discussions with renowned crisis management experts, we were able to identify the following four key points, despite the wide range of practical experiences with staff work in recent months:
- The challenges for crisis management during the Ukraine crisis are much more complex than during the Corona crisis
- Without the experience gained during the Corona crisis, the challenges posed by the Ukraine crisis would have hit companies much harder
- The status of crisis management in companies has improved significantly as a result of current experience
- The importance of a structuring methodology has become more prevalent and the importance of methodical staff work has increased.
The main contents of the new ISO 22361 include in particular the “Personal requirements for leadership” (chap. 6) and the “Requirements for strategic decision-making” (chap. 7). In my view, ISO 22361 will fill the requirements for a methodological framework concept for crisis management with content and thus set the necessary “guard rails”, especially for companies that operate internationally.
The “Strategic Decision Making” or Leadership Rhythm process contains the following elements:
Situation: situational awareness, knowledge of the following factors: What is going on? Impacts, problems, risks
Guidance: What end state is desired? What is the objective of crisis response? What overarching values and priorities will serve as a foundation and guide?
Options: Developing courses of action, evaluating the options in terms of the desired end state.
Decision: The making of a decision or choice that should be consistent with the values and strategic priorities of the organization
Measures: Effectiveness should be monitored and reported on; What needs to be decided? What needs to be done and when to resolve the situation and achieve the desired end state?
Review: Review and assess decisions and their implementation; identify observed strengths and opportunities for improvement; analyze the extent to which the goal was achieved; lessons learned and their relevance to future capabilities.
This process of “Strategic Decision Making” is largely consistent with the approach we advocate for staff work. With DEMiOS, we have a digital solution that maps this methodology. As part of an event organized by the ASW Federal Association on November 18, 2022, we will present DEMiOS at a “Marketplace on Digital Crisis Management Applications.” Please register with ASW.
I will present the new ISO 22361 standard on December 8, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. during a public webinar, “Requirements for Modern Crisis Management – ISO 22361.” Please register for the public webinar via our website.
To our great pleasure we can once again hold seminars at the Obermühle. As part of our compact course Crisis Management on March 1, 2023, I will present, among other things, what you should know about the new ISO standard. ISO 22361 is also suitable for use as a benchmark when evaluating an existing crisis management system.
We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the new standard and its significance for crisis management. We are looking forward to your inquiries.
With kind regards
Klaus Bockslaff and team