Six Things Every Virtual Crisis Team Should Remember
Managing a crisis team remotely can be problematic, so we thought we would put together our list of 6 top things to consider in order to avoid some of the pitfalls.
1. Make sure you know who is on the call
This might sound obvious, but you would be amazed how many calls I’ve been on where this hasn’t been clarified at the start. Introducing everyone will allow you to identify if there are key colleagues missing from the call
2. Have an agenda:
Many of the clients we have advised use Crisis Solutions’ ‘Six Questions’ approach. This focuses the activity of the meeting and ensures it works towards a productive outcome. You can download a copy of the Six Questions agenda from the ‘resources’ page of our website - details below.
3. Ensure phone etiquette is observed
It’s important to make sure you have good phone discipline. People need to avoid talking over one another or hogging the call. It’s important to remember that the person with the loudest voice doesn’t necessarily have all the answers. You need to ensure everyone has a voice and that you have a process for a ‘round the table’ review giving everyone on the call an opportunity to speak.
It is also important to remember that we can’t see non-verbal signals on a phone call. It might not be obvious if somebody is confused or not paying attention, so make sure you continually seek positive feedback, especially when delegating an action to somebody. Make sure they have heard you correctly and understood you fully.
4. Have a chair to lead the call and a co-ordinator supporting
This will need a strong Chair. It needs to be somebody who will enforce discipline and process. Also, it’s best practice for a crisis coordinator to be the Chair ‘right-hand person’ assisting them during the call and ensuring everyones follows process, keeps to time. The co-ordinator should also keep a record of important information, decisions and actions.
5. Speaking of process…. Ensure you are following one!
Just because the meeting is happening virtually doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a process. You should have a methodical approach for getting updates from everybody. The updates process is different from ‘problem solving’, which shouldn’t begin until everyone on the call has the same information. Go from person to person, one at a time. And make it a rule that nobody interrupts unless somebody says something that is clearly wrong. This should either be conducted by the crisis co-ordinator or the chair.
We always recommend that a standard ‘Briefing Format’ is used for receiving updates from team members. This might cover:
A summary of the impact on my business area.
What my team have done so far.
What we are going to do next.
What our Main Effort is (i.e. What we are trying to achieve in the context of out business area).
What help we need from senior management (e.g. roadblocks that need to be removed)
Once you have heard from everyone - or every business area - then you can open the call up for problem-solving. Again, make sure that the quieter voices are heard. The crisis co-ordinator should make sure the actions noted are circulated to all on the call, together with details of the next call.
6. Plan for technical issues!
Finally, there will always be technical problems. Have a plan so that they don’t scupper your call completely. If somebody gets disconnected make sure they know what to do - either wait for you to join them back in the call or attempt to rejoin themselves. And if they are unable to rejoin, make sure somebody is tasked with the responsibility of contacting that person afterwards to fill them in on what happened.