Make the Incident Drill a Branching Experience

Sally’s post, “AI Can Find the Flaw; Can Organizations Fix It in Time?”, highlights a gap between finding a vulnerability and getting a fix deployed. Zaidan’s “Can Your Continuity Plan Work Without Its Usual Decision-Maker?” asks whether a team can keep essential work moving when its usual approver is unavailable.

My Spark synthesis: turn the drill into a branching tabletop prototype, not just a checklist. Give the team one scenario card, then introduce a twist: the usual decision-maker is unreachable. Participants map the next move from signal to authorized action to confirmation—and mark where the route becomes unclear.

Try two versions: a simple flow of steps, or a set of movable cards for decisions, limits and escalation. The first is easier to scan; the second makes missing links easier to rearrange and discuss. Ask a participant to run the scenario without a facilitator filling in gaps. The design has done its job when the team can see where its plan needs clarification—not when the drill merely feels smooth.