Scripts
Abort criteria your drill script is missing
A drill without abort criteria is a dare. Educational rehearsals need permission to stop when reality diverges from the script in unsafe or confusing ways.
Examples worth writing down
- Packaging or device markings do not match the inventory card
- Any participant feels pressured to reveal a secret on a recorded call
- Timer goals start driving skipped authenticity checks
- An unexpected third party enters the room
Abort is a success state
Stopping for a listed reason should be logged as a completed educational outcome, not a personal failure. Teams that punish aborts quietly teach people to improvise — the opposite of drill culture.
Rehearse the abort itself
Once a year, run a five-minute scenario whose only goal is to practice calling abort and securing materials. It feels awkward. It also makes the real stop easier.
Continue with quarterly triggers beyond the calendar.