For many years, fire service leaders have emphasized the need for departments to clearly define their mission and vision, and for many organizations, these elements have become central to their identity.
The good news: Most fire department websites prominently display their mission statement – typically a straightforward, tangible statement focused on operations, performance and service. Firefighters can get behind the mission statement, especially if it emphasizes an aggressive approach to serving the community.
But what about a vision statement? Do our members know the organization’s priorities and where we are headed long-term, or do we, as an organization, have “blurred vision”?
Where we lose focus
Fire service leaders are constantly bombarded with distractions that can divert our attention from reflecting on or making decisions about long-term goals. Regardless of whether these distractions stem from internal or external issues, fire chiefs can easily lose focus on the big picture. In fact, for some leaders, fire department vision is often the first topic to move to the back burner. Worse yet, others simply dissolve the entire topic, as they become so entangled in distractions that they are simply unable to create, enforce and embody the organizational vision.
So, how can leaders effectively develop and sustain the organizational vision?
Near-sighted (local) support
Vision is grounded in the local context, which means you cannot simply adopt another organization’s vision just because it seems appealing. After all, crafting a vision for an organization requires commitment from its members, meaning you should tap into their insight. The vision should align with your organizational values, but more importantly, it must resonate with the expectations and values of your community. Successful organizations create opportunities for their citizens to engage and contribute to the development of the mission and vision. Developing a vision that reflects the culture of your community is essential. For instance, if your vision is to establish an urban-style fire department in a rural area, success will be difficult to achieve. Keep it local, remain innovative, and foster a vision that is owned by both your members and the community.
Far-sighted (long-term) plans
It is important to understand that you will never fully realize your vision – that’s the point. Remember, vision differs significantly from goals. While goals are specific and attainable, a fire department’s vision is an ongoing pursuit, never fully accomplished but consistently pursued. Your vision statement should inspire your members to look ahead and imagine how we can improve. (Note: If you’ve achieved your vision, then you probably aren’t thinking big enough.)
All that being said, your vision must be realistic; unrealistic aspirations will only demoralize your members and create internal conflict. Your organization’s vision should closely align with its culture, and together, they profoundly influence your members and the service provided to the community more than any other aspect of the fire service.
Achieving 20/20 vision
Driving the growth of your department’s vision hinges on three key elements: communication, buy-in and reinforcement.
Leaders must consistently develop and cultivate the organization’s vision and mission, ensuring their actions reflect these guiding principles. Additionally, they must communicate the vision to members on a regular basis. Consistent messaging in all activities will help members remain aware of the organization’s priorities.
As noted, when members and the community embrace the vision, it becomes easier to nurture and expand upon the vision. The challenge lies in cultivating a vision amid distractions. Furthermore, it is crucial for leaders to uphold the organization’s mission and vision – aka “walk the walk.”
Final thoughts
Serving in a leadership role means facing many large and ongoing challenges, and with the constant demand to achieve more with fewer resources, many leaders struggle to maintain their focus on their organizational vision. While it’s easy to see the impact of distractions, it is still essential that all leaders intentionally communicate and cultivate your vision at every stage of their tenure. Omitting any piece of the interconnected organizational puzzle that creates our culture – response, training, mission or vision – will cloud the members’ view of the future and lead to more challenges, namely retention, as your watch your members move to clearer pastures.
