In shortStart with symptoms / Number the steps / Link the dashboards / Test the runbook.
1. Start with symptoms
People search by what they see, not by what it means. Title it "Checkout fails with 504", not "Gateway handling".
2. Number the steps
Each step should be one action and one expected result. Short sentences. No cleverness.
3. Link the dashboards
The right graph, pre-filtered to the right time, saves 10 minutes.
4. Test the runbook
Hand it to someone who does not know the system. If they get stuck, you have found a bug.
Written by Gertrude Gizzard, Head of People. Disagree? Tell us. We read every message, usually before the second coffee.