How can you create a shared vision for your emergency management team?

1 Assess the current situation

Before you can envision the future, you need to understand the present. Assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of your emergency management team, as well as the needs, expectations, and challenges of your stakeholders. Identify the gaps between where you are and where you want to be, and the factors that influence your performance. Use data, evidence, and feedback to support your analysis, and involve your team members and stakeholders in the process.

2 Define the desired outcomes

Once you have a clear picture of the current situation, you can start to define the desired outcomes for your emergency management team. What are the goals and objectives that you want to achieve in the short-term and long-term? How will you measure your progress and success? How will you align your outcomes with the mission, vision, and values of your organization and the emergency management sector? Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) criteria to set your outcomes, and make sure they are realistic, relevant, and meaningful.

3 Craft the vision statement

A vision statement is a concise and compelling statement that summarizes the desired outcomes and the purpose of your emergency management team. It should answer the questions: What do we do? Why do we do it? How do we do it? Who do we do it for? A good vision statement should be clear, concise, inspiring, motivating, and memorable. It should reflect the core values and principles of your team, and resonate with your team members and stakeholders. Use positive, active, and future-oriented language to craft your vision statement, and avoid jargon, ambiguity, and complexity.

4 Communicate and share the vision

Creating a shared vision is not enough; you also need to communicate and share it with your team members and stakeholders. Use different channels and methods to convey your vision statement, such as presentations, newsletters, posters, websites, social media, etc. Explain the rationale, benefits, and implications of your vision, and how it relates to the individual and collective roles and responsibilities of your team members and stakeholders. Use stories, examples, and metaphors to illustrate your vision, and invite feedback, questions, and suggestions.

5 Align and integrate the vision

Communicating and sharing the vision is not enough; you also need to align and integrate it with your team's strategies, plans, policies, and actions. Ensure that your vision is consistent and coherent with the overall direction and priorities of your organization and the emergency management sector. Review and revise your team's strategies, plans, policies, and actions to reflect and support your vision, and identify and address any gaps or conflicts. Align your team's resources, capabilities, and incentives with your vision, and establish clear roles, expectations, and accountability.

6 Monitor and evaluate the vision

Aligning and integrating the vision is not enough; you also need to monitor and evaluate it regularly. Track and measure your team's progress and performance against your vision and outcomes, and use indicators, metrics, and feedback to assess your results and impact. Celebrate your achievements and successes, and acknowledge and reward your team members and stakeholders for their contributions. Identify and analyze your challenges and failures, and learn from your mistakes and feedback. Review and update your vision and outcomes as needed, and adapt to changing circumstances and needs.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?