The current pandemic has forced us to look at incident management planing with a real-life crisis that requires fast change in order to remain successful at what we do.

At the time of this recording, we are several weeks into the "new normal" as we adapt to working and living in the age of social distancing.   

So, what has the pandemic taught us about how to use and manage technology into the future to get the best possible outcomes?  I've put together a few stand-outs...

TIP #1: Don’t over-complicate the systems you use 

There’s a fine line between giving your team the tools they need to succeed and creating systems that produce challenges as a result of excess.  

Stick to the core needs of your work to determine what kind of technology is really necessary.  What is your business goal?  Who is on your team, and how do they prefer to work?  Think about their personal biases, and what will make them technology champions instead of skeptics.  Whenever possible, try to use solutions that are agile and can accommodate a wide variety of devices and ways to connect.   

For every extra layer you add, you create security, maintenance, and other challenges.  Make sure that as you adopt new tools, there is a real return on investment for that change. 

TIP #2: Communication and Management of People Cannot Be Handled by Technology Alone

Sometimes, managers will look at things like web traffic reports, system idle time, and time logs to try and get a sense of the productivity of their staff.  We are all learning right now how information from these tools are limited. This is especially true in a world where people connect from multiple devices using Internet connections that we often don’t have direct control of.   

The most productive businesses right now are creating structure and real accountability with their teams by having virtual meetings, check-in calls, and other regular personal touches, even if those touches can’t be in the same physical space.  It’s critical to have real engagement with your team and not depend solely on time logs and reports to supervise them. 

Hopefully soon we’ll be in a place where more people are working in an office that feels a bit like what we are used to, but I think it’s also likely that things like working from home, video conferences, and maybe even irregular work hours will become part of the new normal. 

So take this time to think about how you can create structure and accountability within your team regardless of the situation.  

TIP #3: Prioritize your technology 

Most of us have multiple products and tools we use in our day to day work lives.  Some of it we lean on very heavily, and others are maybe necessary, but less important. 

Speaking for myself, access to Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and our CRM is critical to my success at work. Of course, my needs are different from someone else’s.  

My advice is to come up with a technology success plan for each of your team members.  Match up their day to day work to the tools they need, and if the worst happens, use this valuable personal information to come up with a plan to adjust for a new reality when incidents happen.  We can’t control the world around us, but we can control how we respond to it. 

There’s certainly going to be more we can learn from this experience in the days ahead. I’d love to hear what YOU think we can take away from this crisis when it comes to technology.  Let me know your thoughts the comments section.  

Thanks so much for tuning in, and as always, stay vigilant my friends!