Remote Teams Can Speed Disaster Response--And What It Means At Work

As devastating as the recent disasters in Japan and elsewhere have been, the response has (in its own way) been almost as impressive. How do we find people who would be considered missing? Can we locate and deploy scarce resources and determine the safest place for people to gather? The answer lies in the ability of people to communicate anywhere in the world, and in real time. While these are extreme, and often eye-popping, examples the same thing happens on a regular basis on project teams and in companies large and small all over the world.

A new report from the United Nations Foundation called "Disaster 2.0: The Future of Information Sharing in Humanitarian Emergencies" shows how the very tools that can help you meet deadlines on your software project also can help projects with much, much higher stakes.

Yes, sometimes we need to remember that no matter how important work is to us, there are matters of much more import in this world. A recent blog post on the UK newspaper The Guardian shows how, beginning with the earthquake in Haiti, social media and the new virtual communication tools sped responses and saved lives.

I urge you to read the report for yourself, but essentially here are some of the tools people are using to leverage the power of hearts and minds all over the world:

• Remote mapping and resource location- Whether it's Google Maps to understand the terrain around a disaster (like what the city looked like prior to the earthquake) or the creation of "crisis maps" of the situation in Libya to give real-time civilian danger warnings, the sheer volume of information--and the ability to translate it into useful information is unprecedented in modern history.
• Virtual meetings and conferences- No longer do you have to gather people in real time and fly them around the world before people can start analyzing danger and taking action. Whether it's local governments that are unable to physically assemble, or you just want the smartest people in the world to put their brains together, we are able to facilitate crucial discussions and get real-time information in their hands as never before. The old "hub and spoke" approach to information where everything had to be coordinated at a low-level (usually local and under-powered) and then escalated through a chain of command.
• "Crowdsourcing" solutions- Whether it's raising money, gathering together to pack emergency kits or estimating nuclear fallout, it's never been easier for motivated people to help, add their wisdom and gain a voice. Yes, there are issues of bad information and conflicting agendas, but when you consider the complexity and scope of the discussions it's truly stunning how everyday people have used tools like Facebook to contribute to real solutions.
• Victim and resource location-- the stories are flowing in of how people have used consumer-grade products to find loved ones and establish contact. Lives have been saved and tears dried.

Now, take a deep breath and ask yourself: if lives and national treasure can be staked on crowdsourcing, real-time discussions and access to information does IT's decision to restrict Twitter use at work really make sense? What good ideas are sitting out in your company without a way to bring them together?

The stakes may be vastly different, but the question is the same. How do we grant access, and make the best use of, a geographically, socially and personally diverse pool of information and minds to get the best results?

Read more:

• Build a (mostly) fail-safe communication plan for your team
• Rules for running virtual meetings that make "snow days" less awful
• Volcanic ash means more bad webmeetings