Leadership and Preparedness

It's been interesting to hear the conversation, online and off, about government and media response to the outbreak of swine flu.

Is the U.S. government overreacting? Are other countries? (Egypt, for example, is slaughtering pigs.)

And what about the media? Is the media feeding the fear?

Although there are exceptions, the media, for the most part, appears to be reporting the news. This afternoon that news includes a bulletin from The Wall Street Journal: "The World Health Organization raised its flu alert level to 5, the second highest level, which indicates a pandemic is imminent. Wednesday, the fast-moving swine flu spread to at least 10 U.S. states from coast to coast and swept deeper into Europe."

For employers, the situation requires attention because decisions might have to be made. In Mexico City, schools and businesses have been closed, which obviously affects the workforce.

Whether swine flu turns out to be an illness that significantly impacts the global workplace remains to be seen. However, leadership requires preparedness on many fronts, and having a plan for dealing with a potential pandemic certainly seems to make good business sense.

Recognizing the importance of preparation, yesterday, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) distributed to members an email titled, "Resources to Help You Prepare for the Spread of Communicable Diseases." The email includes links to information at the SHRM website.

At the SHRM site, HR professionals and others will find valuable information about how to prepare for a health emergency.