Why it matters: Remote teams can’t rely on war rooms. Google’s Site Reliability Engineering guide emphasises rehearsed playbooks and fast escalation paths for distributed operators.[1] This Chaos playbook keeps coverage predictable without torching wellbeing.
TL;DR
- Document escalation ladders and contact channels in Chaos.
- Automate alerts, runbooks, and incident warmups.
- Schedule recovery blocks, nudge hydration and sleep via the dopamine break menu.
| Phase | Focus | Chaos ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-rotation | Briefing & rehearsal | Incident warmup + runbook review |
| Active shift | Monitoring & response | Context reminders + escalation automations |
| Post-incident | Debrief & wellness | Incident comms blueprint + recovery checklist |
What structures a remote on-call playbook?
Define coverage windows, escalation ladders, communication channels, and success metrics. Link relevant runbooks, dashboards, and comms guides inside Chaos so responders never hunt for links.
How do you run the rotation in Chaos?
Automations DM the next responder 30 minutes before handoff, attach the rolling context log, and request energy scores. Active incidents automatically create tasks in the handoff template.
How do you protect wellbeing?
Schedule decompression blocks and share them with managers. PagerDuty data shows that teams enforcing post-incident rest see 27% lower attrition.[2] Chaos nudges check-ins and flags when someone shoulders too many alerts.
Key takeaways
- Codify escalation paths, contact channels, and documentation in Chaos.
- Automate rehearsal, alert routing, and follow-up analysis.
- Track wellbeing metrics to keep rotations humane.