Lessons in Business Continuity From JAWS

JAWS was re-released in theaters this weekend for its 50th anniversary. Since it is one of my favorite movies, I went to see it on the big screen...and within the first 20 minutes I had multiple issues spotted for business continuity (no one here is shocked).

Upon discovering a swimmer had been attacked by a shark, Chief Brody set out to close the beach. The mayor was NOT having it (and even called the medical examiner and had him swear he was wrong about the cause of death: it was a boat accident, not a shark attack [wink, wink]). It was right before 4th of July weekend and it would financially harm the businesses if tourists were scared away. That's a funny thing, isn't it? Which would hurt business more: closing for safety until things are sorted, or opening anyway, risk be damned? Aside from a disatrous disruption to businesses, the shark attack was a crisis communication issue. It was also a risk appetite question, but without the clients (tourists) knowing the terms before investing their money in their Amity Island vacation.

That made me think of some prospects I've spoken to and their clients. Clients are a badge of honor and hard-won, especially when they are famous. When a prospect pushed me out for six months in January, and recently again for another six months, I wondered what their extremely famous (I'm talking global name-recognition) client would think. The prospect is a provider of a very important service for the famous client and is not taking resilience and the ability to be continuous seriously. If the client knew, I highly doubt they would be okay with it and would likely be looking for another provider...which many would jump at the opportunity to be for them.

Next, after a little boy is killed, salty old Quint offers to do what he does best: hunt the shark and do it quickly so the shut down is short-term and businesses still have the rest of the summer to make money (that's not me extrapolating that benefit - he says it!). The mayor and the town council decide a shark that was recently caught and killed - which they had ample notice might not be the shark - was going to stay the headline. They were not interested in Quint's offer. And they kept the beach open for the 4th of July. Turning a blind eye to risk...hmmm.

Tourists pour in because they think it is safe "to do business" there, only for another shark attack to happen. Chief Brody's son was knocked into the water by the shark and suffered extreme shock. Chief Brody makes the mayor sign a contract for Quint and "pay him whatever he wants" to find the great white shark. The mayor reluctantly signs, adding "my son was in the water, too." Motivation based on personal self-interest. Sad.

This is an example of the type of person who comes to business continuity standing on a burning platform (one of the three types I discussed in my book When The Sh!t Hits The Fan). It's too late for the loss and damage that already happened, but it can possibly help prevent a next time if there is even enough left of the business to do have a next time. I also wrote about how $1 invested before a disaster saves you $7 on the back end. Quint originally offered his services at $10,000. You bet it was a lot more, which prompted Brody to say, "pay him whatever he wants."

What would have happened in Amity if Brody was allowed to close the beach right away? There were still some days away where they could have put out a press release advising of the situation and offering alternatives that still would attract the tourists. This would allow Amity Island to be continuous but at a reduced capacity. Then once they confidently eliminated the threat with the resources they had (Hooper, the marine biologist, and Quint), they would have made a happy announcement to the world showing that it was now very safe and thanking those who did show up for their support and patronage.

Death, disaster, a public relations nightmare...it didn't have to be this way. That's what those standing on the burning platform failed to see. There were options beyond doing nothing.