Adam Norman, CEO of a professional IT major incident management body, explains why initial incident communications are missed.
Industry standard for initial comms is 15 minutes after the major incident team accepts handover.
Three root causes for not doing what is expected: people don't know what, how, or are not incentivized.
Diligent team members often delay comms trying to gather perfect information; this harms stakeholder confidence.
Initial 15-minute comms should state mobilization and engagement; more detailed updates follow in the post-15-minute phase.
Action Items
(Immediate – Major Incident Team) Issue a concise initial communication within 15 minutes stating incident acknowledgement and team mobilization.
(Short Term – Managers) Document and repeatedly communicate expectations about initial comms content and timing.
(Short Term – Managers/HR) Include initial-comms performance in individual development plans or targets for those struggling.
(Ongoing – Major Incident Managers) Train teams on differing mindsets and sub-objectives for the three phases: initial 15-minute, post-15-minute, resolution/closure.
Initial 15-Minute Phase (Objectives and Guidance)
Objective: Make stakeholders aware the incident is recognized and the team is mobilized.
Accept limited information; prioritize timeliness over completeness.
Recommended content: concise statement of incident, affected area, and confirmation technical teams are engaged.
Maintain good grammar and clarity even in short messages.
Avoid waiting for perfect data; delays risk stakeholders hearing from other sources first.
Post-15-Minute Phase and Resolution (High-Level Notes)
Post-15-minute: deeper investigation, bridge calls, health checks, and action plans occur.
Resolution/closure: focus shifts to confirming root cause, fixes, and formally closing the incident.
Mindset shifts slightly across phases; each phase has specific sub-objectives.
Causes Of Missed Initial Comms (Three Reasons)
They Don't Know What You Want
Expectations may be unclear or undocumented; leaders must clarify and reinforce.
They Don't Know How You Want It Done
People interpret tasks differently; provide specific instructions when a precise method is required.
They Are Not Incentivized
Use reporting, targets, and development plans to encourage timely behaviors.
Observations About Who Misses Comms
Often conscientious, diligent staff delay comms trying to avoid mistakes.
Their intent is accuracy and thoroughness, not negligence.
This behavior can be corrected by explaining the acceptable trade-off between speed and completeness.
Decisions
Prioritize stakeholder confidence by issuing timely initial comms even when information is partial.
Use structured phase-based process (initial, post-15, resolution) to guide behavior and communications.
Open Questions
Which specific metrics and reporting cadence will be used to track initial-comms performance?
Who will own integrating initial-comms targets into individual development plans?
What templates or playbooks will be provided to standardize initial comms across teams?