Thread by @milobo

"Hey, did you know the generator is still running?"

With those words casually spoken in passing by a team member, I was propelled into my first major incident as CTO….

A thread on how #storytelling is the secret superpower of great #teamwork. 1/13

After investigating, we discovered a power outage damaged our transfer switch, leaving our data center running on generator power.

For 3 days. During a massive spring snow storm.

The work of an incredibly dedicated team meant our users barely noticed the impact. And yet… 2/13

I knew this was an opportunity for us to learn and get better.

Great teams learn from their successes and failures by continuously reflecting and refining processes and practices.

3/13

However, debriefing after an incident can be uncomfortable if team members aren’t used to revealing and discussing their actions with one another.

And, that was the case with our team. Collective reflection wasn’t a habit—yet.

4/13

I needed to find a way to break the ice and help the team lean into the conversation…

To see this as an opportunity to build instead of blame.

And so, for our first debrief, I turned to a staple of improv—the Story Spine.

5/13

Improv Artist Kenn Adams created the Story Spine as a framework for building well-constructed narratives. It outlines the elements of a story from beginning to middle to end in a way the carries the action forward to a final resolution.

6/13

Even if you've never heard of the Story Spine, chances are you'd recognize it as the basis of a favorite story.

The @sketchplanator blog has a pretty terrific summary of the Story Spine that you can check out on their website at lnkd.in/gWSchqXX

7/13

At that first debrief, it was evident that the team was nervous. Hesitant to share with fear that their decisions would be questioned by their peers. Or, that they would reveal a flaw in their actions that would lead to a reprimand.

8/13

And so, I began with a few ground rules:
- Our goal is to guide the future, not grade the past.
- No naming, no blaming.
- Be honest, but be kind (to yourself and your peers).
- Ask questions to expand our understanding.
- Participate fully.

9/13

With Story Spine in hand, we began. After a few minutes, the story was building, ideas were flowing. We discovered actions and choices that weren’t obvious in the frenzied response to the incident—some that led to success, some that could have led to even larger issues. 10/13

After an hour of dialog, the team was energized and excited about the new opportunities we had identified.

And even better, following the next incident, it was the team who asked to schedule a debrief.

Since then we've developed a more formal incident review,

11/13

…but it still follows the elements of a story spine.

I'd bet you and your team have stories to share. Times when you've made a Herculean effort that led to success. Or, on the other side of the coin, times when a minor issue became a major incident.

12/13

Our stories share who we are and who we aspire to be. How are you helping your team tell theirs?

(PS: Thanks to @techtechnique and @budtheteacher for the gentle nudges that prompted me to share this story.)

13/13

#leadership #culture #storytelling #improv #teamwork