Posted by The Blogging Desk on Mon, Apr 04, 2011
- by David, "Q-Tips", Quiram
Here are some non-technical common sense things to avoid doing during a full blown disaster recovery, with or without an established plan. Ten things to not do that aren't always covered in plans or even discussions of disaster recovery.
- Panic. No really, don't panic. Things will work out or not. Panicking will just get the client nervous, your staff nervous, and you unfocused.
- In the words of Colin Powel - "Get mad, and then get over it." Don't get angry or if you are, vent and get over it. The emotions will limit your outlook and lead you to bad choices.
- Don't deviate from the plan. Stick to the plan. If you don't have a plan, make one up before you start doing anything. Know the next step you’re taking before you finish the step you’re at.
- Do not wing it….this leads to the bad place. Document your steps you have taken and notes on what you plan to do next. You WILL be interrupted and your train of thought will be broken and you WILL lose that one thought that takes you to the next step. Notes will give you the tool to get focused on the process you were working on.
- Do not work all night. Having you or your staff exhausted will only hinder the process. Take breaks, and space out staffing. Don’t get wrapped up in the drama of the moment. Remember, you are the calm one steering the company through the storm.
- Don't go quiet. Communicate to the stakeholders involved. They want to know what is going on. Control the communication flow so you can control the interruptions to you and your staff. Communicate to your staff. This will calm nerves and focus the process.
- Don't consume beverages with high amounts of caffeine and sugar, the so called energy drinks. As much the iconic IT staffer is tied with Redbull, Monster, and Mountain Dew, this will just hinder the process. These will burn you out quicker and break your focus.
- Don't consume alcohol. This should be a no brainer.
- Don't do it all yourself. Delegate to your staff. If you are stuck reach out to others for assistance. There are support contracts in place just for this, use them. You have associates in the IT field you can tap for a sounding board, use them!
- Don't forget to follow up after the recovery is done. The recovery process will have shown shortfalls in the plan, if there was one. It is essential to have a de-brief of the event to understand what happened, how it can be prevented, and how to make the process better. You just went through all that pain, learn from it.
