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Writer's pictureDaniela Parker

From Seattle Sounders to FC Dallas....and back to School!




It's been a while since I've posted on the blog. Summer happens, the kids are out of school, and somehow routines go out the window along with that. I'm ready for the kids to go back to school, and for the routines to go back to as normal as they can be.

 

 

One of the things we did this summer was to go to our first FC Dallas game. When we lived in Washington, we were frequent attendees at the Seattle Sounders games, and it was time to try out the Texas soccer scene. If I had to describe a Sounders game, I would use three words: loud, loud, loud. We usually ended up sitting somewhere close to the field, and one of the unwritten rules was that everybody stood for the entire game, we all yelled at the refs for bad calls, and the noise level was intense. The fan section was lit, there was a band, lots of fireworks and pyro... I loved going to soccer games in Seattle!

 

Fast forward to this summer and our first FC Dallas game. Tickets were shockingly affordable for three seats about 5 rows from the field. The stadium is only 20 minutes from where we live, which was a very welcome change from the 2-hour trip to Seattle (including parking at the airport because $$$ for parking downtown, taking the train downtown, walking to the stadium.) Here we pulled into the parking lot 20 minutes after leaving the house, paid $10, and walked 20 steps to the gates.

 

I don’t know if it’s the heat here in Dallas, but this was the most docile soccer game I have ever attended. We got to sit for the entire game because nobody stands. I don't know that they had a fan section, the noise level was low, and we were able to talk to folks around us. While my husband still yelled at the refs, people in general seemed a lot less engaged in the game. The loudest sections were those with all the kids’ soccer teams in them every time they saw themselves on the big screen. Let’s just say, it was a stark difference to the games we had attended in Seattle.

 

The whole experience reminded me a lot of stepping into a new organization with the goal to kick off a business continuity program. My previous organization had drunk the Business Continuity KoolAid. We had successfully sold the value of BCM, ran incidents in our sleeps, truly tested it during the Pandemic, and had great support and buy-in. Folks didn’t roll their eyes when they heard “business continuity,” meetings were well attended, and we were proud of what we as the BCP Team had accomplished. If they had allowed it, we would have probably fired off some fireworks during our “retrospective” meetings as well. The process took a few years, but I am sure the Seattle Sounders didn’t start off with sold out stadiums either.

 

Fast forward to the new organization. Having to implement a business continuity program with an organization that had never experienced the greatness it can bring is just like that FC Dallas game. It’s quiet, people sit rather than stand, nobody yells at the refs because they’re looking at their phones instead. It can be somewhat discouraging, so I like to remind myself of a few things:

 

  • Rome wasn’t built in a day – I know, I know, it’s cliché as all can be, but it is so true. When implementing programs that require folks to change deeply embedded processes, it takes time. LOTS OF TIME! So if you think that getting everybody to be bought in and functioning within six months, I will remind you that it will take oh so much longer.

     

  • People fear what they don’t know – I ran a meeting where I walked folks through the centralized incident management approach I had so successfully used for years. If you’ve heard me talk about this, you know that I sound like it’s the best thing since sliced bread and I simply don’t understand how anybody could feel any differently. Well, people did feel differently. No standing ovations, no cheering, no fireworks. What I got was a “we made it through the pandemic, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Remind yourself that people often react this way because they’re comfortable where they are. Change might put them in a position where they don’t know what to do, and might look incompetent. I say this because we tend to take this stuff way too personal. Your job is to help guide people through the change, so they are prepared for what’s on the other side.

     

Implementing new programs or processes is not a small undertaking. That’s why there is an entire discipline dedicated to helping people change!

 

But here's the twist: Maybe we need to rethink the "loud, loud, loud" approach. Maybe instead of trying to recreate the Seattle Sounders atmosphere, we need to find ways to engage people where they are. Maybe it's less about fireworks and more about showing them how business continuity can make their lives easier, their jobs more secure, and the company more resilient.

 

So, how do we do that? Maybe we start by asking questions, listening to their concerns, and finding common ground.Maybe we focus on small wins and celebrate progress, no matter how small. And maybe we remember that this is exactly how we started it out the last time...

 

What do you think? I'm open to ideas! Let's brainstorm together on how we can make business continuity as exciting as a Seattle Sounders game.

 

PS: Oh, and they had the best margaritas at the FC Dallas game! Maybe that's the key to getting everyone on board - margaritas at all the meetings! 🍹😉




 

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