Great football teams do more than get ready for kickoff. They prepare for the moment everything goes sideways. An ejection, injury, blown assignment, or disputed call can flip a game in seconds.
The fastest-recovering teams are not making it up as they go. They already know who steps up, how information moves, and what the next move should be.
Businesses experience disruption the same way. It arrives without warning, creates pressure fast, and rarely happens at a convenient time.
An outage, cyberattack, or unexpected system failure can uncover weaknesses that stay hidden when operations are running normally. More often than not, those weaknesses trace back to a handful of preventable mistakes that can turn a manageable issue into a prolonged disruption.
Mistake #1: Relying on backups alone
Backups matter, but they are only one piece of the recovery puzzle. They can help restore your data, but they do not tell you what to do next.
Your team still needs a clear order of operations: which systems come back first, who handles each task, and how long recovery should take. Without that guidance, even a good backup can leave the business waiting longer than necessary because important decisions are being made during the outage instead of beforehand.
Recommendation: Build a straightforward recovery plan that outlines what gets restored, the sequence to follow, and who owns each step.
Mistake #2: Skipping plan testing
A recovery plan that has never been tested is a risk. It may work perfectly, or it may break down the moment your team needs it most.
Testing shows you where the weak spots are while there is still time to correct them. It may uncover a backup that does not restore properly, an outdated procedure, or a system that takes too long to bring back online.
Recommendation: Test the plan at least once a year, before you are under pressure. Treat every surprise as a fixable issue, not something to explain away.
Mistake #3: Leaving roles unclear
When disruption hits, decisions need to happen quickly. What should be restored first? Who needs to be alerted? What comes next?
If responsibilities are not clearly assigned, the team loses valuable time trying to figure out who is in charge instead of solving the problem.
Recommendation: Define roles before an incident happens. Make sure every person understands their responsibilities, who they work with, and when to escalate.
Mistake #4: Overlooking communication
A strong recovery plan should account for people, not just technology. During a disruption, employees need direction, customers need updates, and vendors may need to adjust on their side.
If your usual communication tools are down, confusion can spread fast.
Recommendation: Develop a communication plan for employees, customers, and vendors. Include backup channels and assign one person to manage updates.
Mistake 5: Treating recovery planning like a one-and-done project
A recovery plan can become outdated faster than expected. Employees leave, systems evolve, and business priorities change. The plan will not update itself.
If it still depends on old contacts, retired systems, or outdated steps, it can slow recovery instead of supporting it.
Recommendation: Set a recurring schedule to review and refresh your recovery plan. Revisit it anytime your team, systems, vendors, or priorities change in a major way.
Prepared teams recover faster
A tested plan, clear ownership, and dependable communication can keep a disruption from becoming a crisis.
By fixing these common mistakes now, you can reduce uncertainty, limit downtime, and recover with more confidence.
Recovery planning is about more than the right technology. It is also about the right strategy. We help businesses uncover gaps, strengthen recovery plans, and create preparedness strategies that keep operations moving when the unexpected happens.
If you're not sure whether your recovery plan is ready, click here or give us a call at 801-610-6000 to schedule your free 10-Minute Discovery Call.
