A vision is a clear and compelling picture of the future that inspires and guides your GIS team. A strong vision can help you align your team's goals, motivate your team members, and communicate your value to your stakeholders. But how can you develop a strong vision for your GIS team? Here are some tips to help you.
Before you can create a vision for your GIS team, you need to understand where you are now and where you want to go. You can start by conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you identify your team's core competencies, gaps, challenges, and potential areas for growth. You can also collect feedback from your team members, customers, and partners to get their perspectives and insights.
Understand the organisational objectives, and how GIS aligns with that. You will see clearer from then how GIS and spatial data fits within this.
To develop a strong vision for a GIS team: define its purpose within broader organizational goals, communicate this vision clearly, align it with the overall strategy, involve team members, set measurable goals, provide resources, and regularly evaluate and adapt to stay on track.
Your vision should be based on your team's purpose and values. Your purpose is the reason why your team exists and what impact you want to make with your GIS skills. Your values are the principles that guide your team's behavior and decision-making. To define your purpose and values, it is essential to ask yourself and your team questions such as: what is the main problem or need that your GIS team solves or meets? What are the benefits and outcomes that your GIS team delivers or enables? And, what are the core beliefs and standards that your GIS team follows or upholds? Answering these questions will help you create a clear vision for your GIS team.
To build a strong GIS team vision, define its purpose within the organization, communicate it clearly, align it with broader strategies, engage team members, set measurable goals, provide necessary resources, and regularly assess and adapt to maintain alignment with organizational objectives. This comprehensive approach motivates and guides the team towards shared success.
Your vision statement should be a succinct and unforgettable expression of your vision. It should encapsulate your team's objectives, direction, and distinctiveness. To create your vision statement, you can use the following formula: To [verb] [target audience] by [how] so that [why]. For instance, a potential vision statement for a GIS team could be: To enable local communities with inventive and available GIS solutions to confront their environmental and social issues.
Your vision is only effective if you share it with your team and your stakeholders. You can use various methods to communicate your vision, such as presentations, newsletters, posters, or stories. You can also use visual aids, such as maps, diagrams, or symbols, to illustrate your vision. However, communication is not enough. You also need to implement your vision by translating it into actionable goals, strategies, and plans. You need to align your team's roles, responsibilities, and resources with your vision. You also need to monitor and measure your progress and results, and celebrate your achievements and milestones.
Your vision is not a static or fixed statement. It is a dynamic and flexible guide that evolves with your team and your environment. You need to review and revise your vision regularly to ensure that it is still relevant, realistic, and inspiring. You can use feedback, data, and trends to evaluate your vision and make adjustments as needed. You can also involve your team and your stakeholders in the review and revision process to ensure their buy-in and commitment.