Regional planning: it’s not a sprint

relay teams

I never expected to use a sports analogy for my blog. I generally leave those to SEMCOG’s Deputy Executive Director, Carmine Palombo. This, however, was before two SEMCOG staff relay teams completed the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon on Sunday. While sharing our experience with SEMCOG Vice Chair Don Hubler before the Water Resources Task Force meeting, we couldn’t help chuckling at his observation that our work prepared us for an event predicated on teamwork and endurance.

Both require the following:

A shared vision or goal

In the case of the marathon relay, our task was simple: reach the finish line without injury. While individual marathon runners deservedly receive all the glory for getting through 26.2 miles on their own, we set our sights on a shared goal that was attainable for us: cover the same distance by combining our efforts as a team. In the case of SEMCOG’s planning work, we are in pursuit of a healthy and prosperous region. Success depends on the ability of individual communities to maximize their strengths and come together on bigger issues because we know that our fates are tied together.

Collaboration

When matching team members with assignments, it is important to properly align individual strengths with tasks. For our race, this meant identifying our strongest runners and assigning them the most difficult legs. For our plans, we identify the most impactful strategies and encourage the appropriate implementers to bring them to life.

Preparation

To ensure we were ready for the race, we went on regular conditioning runs. In regional planning, collecting and analyzing sound data is the foundation of what we do.

Perseverance

Runners know and fear hitting “the wall,” but they also know how good it feels to reach the other side. Every planner knows the frustration of seeing the vision and hopes contained in a plan go unrealized when the plan sits on the shelf. At SEMCOG, we do not stop after completing the plan. We work with our member governments, partners, and stakeholders throughout the region to see projects funded and implemented. It takes time to achieve meaningful results.

Coordination

To optimize our relay performance, we planned the handoffs between runners, estimated each arrival time, and kept up communications throughout the morning. When the planning and programming phases of transportation projects come to an end and it is time for implementation, SEMCOG hands off to the agencies responsible for project construction and tracks their progress.

Recognition

At the end of a race, we relish hearing cheers at the finish line and proudly displaying our medals. When we experience planning successes, it’s important to showcase successful projects and the people who were a part of making them happen. Just as someone who feels glued to the couch might be inspired by seeing a friend achieve a surprising accomplishment, we know that it’s easier for local governments to overcome challenges when they can learn from others who did it first. To make solutions real, we emphasize lessons learned. Success stories benefit the entire region, which is why we highlight them in our online and print publications, confer awards for innovative work, and draw the attention of the media to good government successes.

There’s a reason the SEMCOG runners chose a marathon and not a sprint relay. If you have ever run or attended a large race, you know that the positive energy on the ground at these events is infectious. We felt this on Sunday in Detroit, and we feel it all over Southeast Michigan when we see connections take place that moves our region forward.