Last year, I achieved a personal goal of visiting all of Virginia’s state parks as part of their Trail Quest Program. It was so much fun that I’m going to visit all of Maryland’s state parks over 2022-2023 (there are a lot more parks to visit in Maryland).
In alignment with this goal, recently, I took a Wilderness First Aid Certification Class, which was two full days of hands-on training. After that, I got recertified in my Red Cross First Aid & CPR.
In the Wilderness First Aid certification class, the instructor kept emphasizing how so many accidents can be prevented with proper planning and communication. We talked about things like: if someone is injured in the woods, who will call for help? What’s the evacuation plan? How will we pivot as injuries worsen? How can we adapt and engage our common sense in different scenarios?
The same sentiment is true when it comes to being prepared as an economic development organization: the right planning and communication can prevent challenges or wasted efforts. And it can set you up for more success.
For example, before you implement a new program, you need to plan for it in order to be successful. If you don’t, you might be duplicating efforts in your community and wasting money.
In whatever project you’re working on, you need to anticipate problems before they come up and know what the potential obstacles, issues, or problems might be. Economic development organizations are in the public eye, and we can’t assume that everyone will love every decision you make every time. Naysayers might address you in person at an event or indirectly on social media. It’s important to have a plan and that everyone on your team is on the same page with consistent messaging.
We can prepare for the challenges and set ourselves up for success by thinking strategically about what needs to be done, bringing all of the right players to the team, and engaging and communicating our goals and expectations with others.
Do you need help strategically planning within your organization? Send us a message to set up a free consultation call to see how we can support you.
And if you’d like to get certified in CPR or other First Aid Training, Life Saving Certifiers offers classes in Frederick, Maryland and the 5 surrounding states. Find out more here: www.lifesavingcertifiers.com.
‘Til next time,
Sandy
