Disaster Recovery Journal Winter 2025

and exercise completion rates, the council creates measurable indicators of resilience performance. Dashboards that consolidate these metrics provide executives and boards with a clear view of organizational readiness. Standardized reporting not only supports internal governance but also builds confidence among regulators, customers, and stakeholders. Cross Functional Exercises To validate plans and identify weaknesses, councils must sponsor cross-functional exercises. Enterprise wide tabletop scenarios and live simulations test both technical recovery and business continuity in a controlled environment. These exercises foster collaboration between departments, expose vulnerabilities, and provide data which feeds back into corrective actions and strategic decisions. Exercises thus serve as both a training mechanism and a measurement tool. A Culture of Preparedness Finally, resilience councils should focus on embedding a culture of preparedness across the organization. Rather than being viewed as a controlling or punitive body, the council must position itself as collaborative and supportive. Preparedness should be framed as a shared organizational value reinforced through regular training, transparent communication, and integration into performance evaluations. When employees see resilience as part of daily work rather than an abstract compliance requirement, the organization develops the confidence

and agility needed to respond decisively in times of crisis. The Role of Senior Leadership Resilience governance is ultimately a leadership responsibility. Without executive commitment, even the best structured councils will lack influence. Leadership must allocate resources, approve tolerances for downtime, and support corrective actions. Leaders must model resilience by actively participating in exercises, engaging with council activities, and emphasizing preparedness as a cultural priority. This visible commitment builds trust across the organization and ensures employees understand resilience is integral to organizational success. Senior leaders who prioritize governance not only reduce risks but also strengthen reputation, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder confidence. Challenges and Mitigation Strategies While the benefits of establishing a resilience council are clear, organizations often face challenges in implementation. Departments may resist centralized oversight, fearing loss of autonomy. Others may point to overlapping governance bodies, such as IT steering committees or risk boards, as potential redundancies. Additionally, councils require time and resources from executives who already face competing priorities. To address these challenges, leaders should frame the council as collaborative rather than hierarchical, integrate resilience

responsibilities into existing committees where appropriate, and emphasize regulatory requirements that mandate resilience governance. Highlighting high profile failures such as Southwest Airlines demonstrates the cost of inaction and builds the case for investing in governance. Conclusion The resilience council is more than a committee—it is the mechanism by which organizations align cross-departmental efforts under a unified governance framework. It addresses the hidden gap between theoretical preparedness and real-world execution, transforming resilience from a compliance exercise into an enterprise capability. Organizations that embrace governance, like Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser Permanente, navigate crises more effectively and preserve stakeholder trust. Conversely, organizations without governance, such as Southwest Airlines, suffer costly failures that damage reputation and operations. By securing sponsorship, defining mandates, assembling diverse membership, and implementing structured processes, organizations can embed resilience as a living, breathing element of their strategy. In an unpredictable world, the resilience council ensures resilience is not an illusion but a tested, trusted capability that enables long-term success. v years of experience in healthcare administration and operations. At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Balentine leverages his extensive background in strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency to drive organizational success. Balentine has held various leadership roles in Memphis area healthcare organizations, where he was instrumental in implementing transformative initiatives to enhanced service quality and operational performance. Balentine’s expertise spans across multiple facets of healthcare management, including disaster recovery, IT management, and business operations. He is known for his strategic vision, collaborative approach, and dedication to fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Balentine is passionate about mentoring emerging leaders and contributing to the advancement of the healthcare industry. He is a member of the DRJ Editorial Advisory Board. Scott Balentine, MBA, MHA, FACHE, PMP, CBCP, CCRP, is a disaster recovery program manager at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 20

EDITOR’S NOTE : This is the first article of a seven-part “Cross-Departmental Resilience Framework” series by Scott Balentine of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. The series offers a practical roadmap for embedding resilience across governance, operations, and culture. The entire series was published on the DRJ website in seven consecutive business days, beginning on Oct. 27, at:

n https://drj.com/journal_main/resilience-council-governance-framework/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/defining-important-business-services-resilience/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/creating-dual-playbooks-business-continuity/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/cross-functional-exercises-organizational-resilience/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/modernizing-collaboration-tools-resilience/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/linking-resilience-to-culture-and-training/ n https://drj.com/journal_main/measuring-and-reporting-organizational-resilience/

38 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | WINTER 2025