Utilities Discuss the Challenge of Building Buy-In for Business Continuity
By Russ Henderson, Director of Research
As utilities continue to face a growing range of operational threats—from severe weather and cyber incidents to supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges—business continuity leaders are finding that developing plans is often the easy part. Building awareness, securing executive support, and integrating continuity into everyday decision-making can be far more difficult.
That was one of the central themes of a recent Chartwell Emergency Management Leadership Council Business Continuity Roundtable, where utility leaders from across North America discussed how they are working to build support for business continuity programs and strengthen collaboration across their organizations.
Participants consistently described business continuity programs that are reasonably mature on paper but still face challenges translating that maturity into organizational influence and action. Many organizations have completed business impact analyses, developed continuity plans, and established governance structures, yet continue to struggle with executive engagement, competing priorities, and organizational silos.
Several participants highlighted the importance of moving beyond business continuity terminology and instead framing conversations around risk. Rather than discussing recovery objectives, plans, or program requirements, leaders reported greater success when connecting continuity efforts directly to business risks, operational impacts, customer outcomes, and regulatory concerns.
Another recurring theme was the relationship between business continuity, emergency management, disaster recovery, and enterprise risk management. Participants described situations where multiple groups were collecting similar information or conducting parallel assessments without a common framework, creating what one participant referred to as a “silo tax.” The discussion explored opportunities to share data, align priorities, and create stronger connections between resilience-related programs while preserving clear ownership and accountability.
Utility leaders also emphasized the value of identifying champions within the executive ranks. Several participants noted that executive support often depends on connecting continuity efforts to the priorities of individual leaders, whether those priorities involve operations, customer experience, technology, regulatory affairs, or financial performance. Tailoring the message to the audience was frequently cited as a key factor in gaining support.
Read more about the Chartwell Utility Resilience Institute.
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