Virtual crisis simulations are no longer optional. With hybrid working and dispersed teams, the chances are that your next major incident will start online. Practising in the same environment makes sense. But let’s be honest: running a crisis simulation over Microsoft Teams is not easy.
Facilitating a crisis exercise online is far more challenging than face to face. In person, you can build rapport before and after workshops, which makes everyone more comfortable. Online, that opportunity disappears.
Keeping people engaged is harder. Steering conversations is harder. Reading emotions is harder because there is less body language to feed off. Even rounding people up for the next stage takes more effort. And for the facilitator, it is much more draining.
Most crises will be managed virtually, at least in the early stages. That means organisations need to practise in the same way they will respond. Virtual simulations are not just a compromise; they are a realistic test of how your teams will operate under pressure.
Here are practical ways to make your exercise run smoothly, grouped into key areas:
Avoid traditional tabletops
Presentation-style exercises do not translate well online. Engagement drops quickly. Instead, run the session as a simulation. Give participants tasks and decisions to make so they cannot hide behind the mute button.
Break the exercise into phases
Real incidents unfold in stages. Simulate that by splitting the session into phases such as incident response, crisis management and business recovery. Only involve relevant teams in each phase. Start each new phase with a briefing from the previous one to test how well information flows.
Create urgency with timed injects
Virtual exercises can feel flat without time pressure. Use timed updates or injects to keep momentum and simulate the stress of a real incident.
Set clear roles and expectations upfront
Virtual sessions can feel chaotic if people do not know what is expected of them. Share roles and objectives before the exercise starts so everyone understands their responsibilities.
Test your tech beforehand
Nothing kills momentum like technical issues. Check breakout rooms, permissions and any shared documents in advance to avoid delays.
Use the tools available
Microsoft Teams offers features that can make life easier. Breakout rooms allow smaller groups to work on specific problems. Polls can be used for quick decisions. Chat can capture updates without interrupting the flow. Nominate a tech lead to manage these features so the facilitator can focus on engagement.
Keep sessions short
Screen fatigue is real. Shorter sessions keep people focused and improve the quality of discussion. If the exercise needs to run over several hours, break it into manageable blocks.
Allow offline work
In real incidents, people peel off to complete tasks. Build that into your exercise. It gives specialists time to shine and makes the simulation more authentic.
Use visual cues
Share timelines, maps or dashboards on screen to keep people anchored in the scenario and maintain focus.
Record the session
Recording the exercise provides a valuable resource for review and learning. Modern AI tools, such as Copilot, can generate a detailed exercise report from the recording, reducing the need for copious note-taking and freeing facilitators to focus on engagement.
Debrief properly
Virtual exercises can end abruptly. Schedule time for reflection and feedback so lessons are captured and improvements identified.
Running a crisis simulation over Teams is harder than face to face, but it is essential. Start small, use the tools at your disposal and keep it interactive. The next crisis will not wait for everyone to be in the same room.