Roleplay Scenario
Scenario Overview
A major system outage has hit, affecting a lot of users. As the Incident Leader, your job is to keep everyone calm and informed while confidently working towards a solution. This is all about managing the team's response, keeping spirits up, and making sure everyone knows what's happening.
Roles & Setup
Role A – Incident Leader (You)
You're coordinating the incident response.
Your goal: Keep communication clear, boost team morale, and guide the response effort. Keep everyone updated with honest and timely information.
Role B – On-Call Engineer
You're diving into the problem to find out what's wrong.
Your goal: Share updates clearly, avoid guessing, and focus on fixing the issue.
Role C – Communications Specialist (Optional)
You’re crafting messages for internal and external updates.
Your goal: Make sure all communications are accurate and timely.
Role D – Executive Stakeholder (Optional)
You’re looking for reassurance and a clear picture of the situation.
Your goal: Understand the impact and the plan to get things back on track.
Suggested Openers
Incident Leader:
- “Thanks for hopping on quickly. We’re dealing with a big outage affecting [System], impacting [X%] of users. Let’s gather the facts and keep everyone in the loop.”
- “This is a tough one, but we’ve got this. Let’s break down what’s happening and how we’re going to fix it.”
On-Call Engineer:
- “I’m checking the logs. It looks like it might be linked to a network change. I’ll confirm and keep you posted.”
- “I’m looking through the metrics and logs for anything unusual. I’ll update as soon as I find something.”
Communications Specialist:
- “I’m drafting updates for both internal teams and external folks. Let me know if there’s anything specific we should include.”
- “I’ll work with support to make sure we’re all saying the same thing.”
Executive Stakeholder:
- “I need to know how this is affecting us and what we’re telling customers. Do we have any idea when it’ll be fixed?”
- “How are we keeping our partners and customers informed?”
Sample Roleplay in Action
Incident Leader:
“Thanks for jumping on this call, everyone. We’ve got an outage in [System X] that’s affecting about [X%] of our users. Let’s focus on figuring out what’s causing it and keep everyone updated as we go.”
On-Call Engineer:
“I’m checking it out, and it looks like it might be related to a recent network tweak. I’m confirming this in the logs and will test a rollback to see if it fixes things.”
Communications Specialist:
“I’ll get an initial update ready for both internal and external folks. Let me know if there’s anything specific we need to share right now.”
Executive Stakeholder:
“I need to understand the impact and what we’re telling customers. Do we have any idea when this might be resolved?”
Incident Leader:
“We’re looking into it, and it seems related to a network change. The team is on it, and we’ll have a better idea of the timeline soon. I’ll make sure to keep everyone updated regularly.”
On-Call Engineer:
“I’ll let you know as soon as I confirm the issue. I’m trying a rollback to see if that resolves the problem.”
Communications Specialist:
“I’ll work with support to make sure they’re ready for any customer questions. Once we have more details, I’ll finalize the messaging.”
Incident Leader:
“Great, let’s meet again in 15 minutes to see how things are going and adjust our approach if we need to. Let’s keep the lines open and stay transparent.”
Post-Scenario Tools
Curveball Mode (Optional)
Throw in these challenges mid-roleplay to see how you adapt:
- The initial diagnosis was wrong, and you need to change course.
- Stakeholders are pushing hard for an immediate fix.
- A new, unrelated issue pops up, complicating things.
Reflection Checklist
As the Incident Leader:
- Did you maintain transparency while staying confident?
- Did you help the team communicate effectively?
- Did you keep everyone informed and reassured?
As a Participant:
- Did you share updates clearly and accurately?
- Did you stay calm under pressure without jumping to conclusions?
- Did you work well with others to solve the issue?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Giving vague or overly positive timelines without certainty
- Not keeping everyone on the same page
- Letting panic take over communications and decisions
Pro Tip
Balancing honesty with confidence is crucial for maintaining trust during incidents. Stick to the facts, communicate regularly, and keep calm to lead your team through the storm.