Challenging the Status Quo: It's a Good Thing

“[T]he peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race…If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.”

-          John Stuart Mill “On Liberty”

Good wine does not come from grapes that have been pampered and coaxed to be as large and bountiful as possible. Reputable wine producers will tell you that the best product is the result of grapes that grow in relatively harsh environments and must struggle to flourish. This results in a very hearty fruit with highly concentrated flavors.

Great businesses only become so by facing serious challenges. They are led by individuals who have the tenacity to see their companies through the rigors of market fluctuations, fickle clients and fierce competition.

Strong leaders and resilient individuals are born from failure and adversity. Few, if any, remarkable individuals have been produced by continually taking the easy way out or having walked through life without encountering obstacles and problems to be overcome.

Can the same be said of a discipline? Surely, the business continuity profession is made better for having to face challenges of its own. Even if you disagree with Adaptive I do not think you can argue that it damages the profession in any way. It is challenging the status quo, and by doing do, making both approaches better in the process. Looking at traditional business continuity methodology, nearly everyone agrees it can be improved. Those improvements can be implemented over time in small, incremental steps but I believe the world is moving too fast for us to drag our feet. Through the introduction of radical ideas and perspectives, we might realize more significant and meaningful changes. Particularly in today’s age of dramatic disruption and sweeping transformation, it behooves all of us to question how we practice. And, let’s face it, nothing provokes more serious thought about one’s own beliefs and traditions than having them questioned.

Adaptive is here to stay. I know that because it continues to grow with little sign of slowing down. It is also evolving. As more practitioners put its principles to use in their own programs, the more input I receive, and the more thought and experience go into developing it.

So, let’s stop for a moment and acknowledge that, even if we do not like Adaptive and what its proponents endorse, it has forced many of us to question what we do and how we do it. And that’s not a bad thing.