Why it matters
During incidents, context is as critical as time. When responsibility shifts across teams or time zones, poor handoffs lead to duplicated effort, missed signals, and delays. A designated relay role stabilizes transitions by protecting operational continuity under pressure.
Core idea
The relay is a role focused solely on context transfer. It bridges the outgoing and incoming teams without taking on resolution tasks. This living bridge reduces cognitive load and prevents context erosion during high-stress moments.
Practical applications
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During handoffs
- Relay joins the final hour of the outgoing shift.
- Collects key incident data: timeline, symptoms, actions, current hypotheses.
- Delivers a concise, structured briefing to the incoming team.
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In shift design
- Build explicit relay windows into the rotation schedule.
- Rotate the role to avoid fatigue and normalize responsibility.
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For complex events
- Pair the relay with a shadow observer to surface latent patterns.
- Keep the relay on passive standby post-handoff for rapid clarification.
Common pitfalls
Without structure, relays can drift from their purpose or be ignored entirely:
- Taking on troubleshooting tasks dilutes focus — relays should transfer, not fix.
- Ad-hoc handoffs degrade quickly — checklists and templates enforce consistency.
- Unassigned relays create gaps — ownership must be visible and planned.
- If the incoming team skips the relay, information loss is immediate — relay briefings must be a required step.
Reasoning trail
Based on incident response models from aviation, emergency medicine, and 24/7 operations. Refined through resilience engineering and adapted for SRE environments.
Referenced indirectly: