Collective Wisdom from the Experts 127
When thinking about your software project, consider whether the following
conditions are true for your team:
• We have regular team briefings and increase the intensity of these before
critical phases (e.g., testing).
• We have a risk register with appropriate responses identified.
• Our risk register is regularly updated and current.
• Our specialists on the team are trained to the appropriate level.
• We have a crisis management plan, with key responsibilities assigned.
• Our crisis management plan has a clear internal and external communica-
tions strategy/plan.If your answers are affirmative, great! You won’t have trouble sleeping at night.
But if not, then some immediate thinking and planning would be sensible.
Establishing clear responsibilities for dealing with crises is a good start. That
is a task that can be done in advance, as can the preparation of checklists, pro-
cesses, and procedures for each critical project phase. These can be incorpo-
rated in the project management plan and its subsidiaries, and communicated
so that all the team is clear.
Flight 1549 teaches that a capable team, with well-defined roles, can manage
the most challenging crisis successfully.