Self-Guided Course
Presented by Julie Perrine, CPS/CAP, MBTI Certified Founder and CEO, All Things Admin
Module 3: Checklists, Forms, and Templates…
and Disaster Preparedness Planning
Module 3 Overview:
In today’s class, we’ll look at some of the checklists, forms, and templates you
might want to include in your admin binder. We’ll go through how to create
screen shots, graphics, and custom bullets to enhance your procedures
documentation. We’ll also review some of the documentation and lists that may
be helpful to have included in case of an emergency or disaster.
All materials included in this course are copy written © by Julie Perrine International, LLC. All handouts, templates, and binder contents provided as part of this course are for your individual use only. No part of this program or course may be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any manner. You do not have resale rights to this program or its contents. You do have the limited right to adapt the files included in this program for your personal use as you create your personalized version of your administrative procedures binder using this material.
Module 2 Recap:
STEP 3: Pick your top five
Choose the top five (5) daily items from your lists and begin to develop a step-by-step procedure for how to accomplish those items.
STEP 4: What you should consider including in your admin binder
(See “brainstorming” list in the Appendix.)
And what NOT to include…
Module 3 Preview:
Checklists
Forms
Templates
Creating screenshots, graphics, custom bullets
Disaster preparedness documentation
What types of checklists might be helpful?
o
Daily or Weekly Checklists
See template provided for Module 1
o
Daily Start-up or Shut-Down Checklists
o
HR Checklists for New Hires, Terminations, Employee Setup
See templates samples provided for Module 3
What forms or templates do you use regularly?
oFax Cover Sheets
o
Accounting Forms / Templates
o
Travel Forms / Templates
o
Event & Meeting Planning Forms / Templates
o
HR Forms / Templates
o
Sales and Marketing or Corporate Board PowerPoint Templates
o
Other forms or templates…
USING FORMS / TEMPLATES In Your Admin Procedures Binder:
o
Keep a couple blank forms in your binder with a completed template in front of it
so others can see how to complete the respective forms.
o
If the forms are used primarily in an electronic format, keep a hard copy in the
binder as well in case you need one immediately or the network goes down for
some reason and you can’t access it electronically. (You’ll look REALLY smart
then!)
Creating Screenshots, Graphics, and Custom Bullets
Refer to special report download: How to Add Value to Your
Administrative Procedures Documentation: Creating Screenshots,
Graphics, and Custom Bullets
If disaster strikes, will you be ready?
As I watch the television news with all of the Mississippi River flooding this week, my mind flashes back to the spring of 2008
when the flood waters ripped through the city where I live. It’s truly mind boggling to grasp how much damage water can do when it’s associated with a flood. While my home was safe from the flood waters in 2008, many of the companies that I supported were directly hit. (My current
office is located in the flooded 8-story building pictured here. The entire first floor was FULL of water!)
I watched in amazement as some companies quickly pulled together their vital files and computers and setup operations in remote facilities without any interruption of service. Others were not so prepared. Because of delayed responses, lack of planning, and no processes and procedures for this type of event, some companies lost way more than others. But at the heart of most disaster recovery operations – no matter which
company you looked at – were the administrative professionals! If disaster were to strike your company, would you be prepared to step into a leadership role of guiding and supporting them through the disaster response?
Disasters come in all forms and levels of severity: floods, fires, power outages, ice storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, server failures, hackers, burst pipes, and many more. Some disasters are worse than others. Each disaster requires a different type of response effort. But companies that successfully recover from disasters are typically companies that have prepared for them to begin with. Here are a couple of pretty alarming statistics:
“Small businesses that don’t have a plan in place generally don’t survive after a disaster, whether it’s a flood or a tornado. We see that anywhere from 40-60 percent of those that are hit like that simply don’t come back to business,” said David Paulison, former executive director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
everyone out of a job.
Whether your company currently has a formal disaster recovery plan in place or not, here are some things you can do right now to proactively prepare yourself and your company if disaster strikes.
1. Find out if your company has a disaster recovery plan. If so, ask if you can get a copy of the plan. Read it and familiarize yourself with what it contains. If you have questions, ask them. You may very well identify gaps or holes that should be addressed. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
2. Educate yourself on Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Planning. I’d start with these awesome sites:
o http://www.preparemybusiness.org/ - Read every page…and take full
advantage of their FREE webinars and training series!
o www.ready.gov
3. Download, print, and assemble in a binder all of the free templates and files from
http://www.preparemybusiness.org/. Use these as your personal guide to
creating your own disaster recovery plan/kit. Even if your company has a
“master disaster recovery plan”, you still should create an individual plan for your position/team if one doesn’t already exist.
4. Start creating a disaster recovery plan for yourself and your immediate team. For starters, you’ll want to include:
o Emergency Contact Lists – company executives, team members, home phones, cell phones, email addresses, etc.
o Key Vendors/Suppliers Contact Lists – names, emails, office phones, cell phones, etc.
o List of vital files, paperwork, equipment, machines you’d need to work remotely
o Contingency plans for fire vs. water vs. power loss emergencies. E.g. In case of fire, you might need to act or do things differently than you would with a power outage.
5. Share your plan with your team and get their feedback and ideas on how to make it better or more complete. Once you’ve taken the initiative to get things rolling, stick with it until you have it fully assembled. Then make sure everyone on your team knows the procedures and has access to the information you’ve assembled in case of emergency!
You don’t have to be given the directive from your executive to develop your own
disaster recovery plan. Take the initiative and create something on your own. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But you MUST have a plan. The admins at the center of keeping business operations running smoothly with flood waters raging through our city were the
to get to Sam’s Club before every other business in town to purchase folding tables to serve as makeshift desks for the next six months. They were the ones who had
administrative procedures binders ready with emergency contact lists and key supplier contacts at their fingertips. They were the administrative professionals who didn’t wait for someone to tell them it needed to be done…they just did it!
If disaster strikes, will you be ready? © 2011 Julie Perrine International, LLC
PRINT THESE DOCUMENTS to get you brainstorming on what you might need to assemble or think about including in your binder related to disaster recovery:
http://www2.agilityrecovery.com/assets/SBA/recoversba.pdf
Emergency Communications Plan sheet:
http://www2.agilityrecovery.com/assets/SBA/emercommsba.pdf
Phone Recovery Plan:
http://www2.agilityrecovery.com/assets/SBA/phonerecovsba.pdf
Disaster Recovery Kit:
http://www2.agilityrecovery.com/assets/SBA/drkitsba.pdf
Unique Supplies List:
Homework Assignment:
Find out if your company has a disaster recovery plan. If so, ask if you can
get a copy of the plan. Read it and familiarize yourself with what it contains.
If you have questions, ask them. You may very well identify gaps or holes
that should be addressed. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
Identify the next FIVE procedures you are going to document this week.
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
Document the next FIVE procedures.
Procedure Date
Completed
1
2
3
4
5
EXTRA CREDIT:
When you finish the next FIVE, pick FIVE more. (Repeat as necessary.)
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
Email Julie to report
my successful
completion of my
next 5 Procedures!
let us know where you need additional support or coaching to accomplish these tasks.
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