Farewell to the EMForum

One of the resources I have always recommended for professional development is EMForum. For close to 17 years, EMForum has offered a free monthly presentation on current emergency management issues, featuring top-notch experts in our profession. However, all good things must come to an end and EMForum has announced that this past month's program was their last. The staff are currently searching for a host for the program archive and hope to have that in place shortly. The ladies behind the scene, Amy Sebring and Avagene Moore, have made a significant contribution to our profession and EMForum will be greatly missed.

New Public Assistance Program Guide

FEMA has just issued a new publication, FEMA P-1011 Public Assistance Program Field Operations Pocket Guide, which is intended to provide direction on a consistent approach to delivering the PA Program. The Pocket Guide is intended to supplement existing program documents, so it's bit lean on content and the checklists aren't particularly useful. Still, it does present an overview of the program from the Applicants Briefing to the Exit Briefing and could be useful in briefing senior officials unfamiliar with the program,

 

My old First Sargent used to have a saying, "It only costs a little more to go first class." He wasn't talking about airfares. His point was that sometimes a little extra effort could help you exceed expectations. It's a rule that's served me well over the years, encouraging me to put a little polish on projects and make my customers not just satisfied but excited about the results.

However, with age comes wisdom and I have come to realize that there are limits. One of the rules I learned from master consultant Alan Weiss is. "When you're 80% ready, MOVE!" His point is that life is about success, not perfection, and the extra effort involved in accomplishing the remaining 20% can delay success. In other words, the incremental effort needed to get that remaining 20% may require more effort than the previous 80%.

So how do I reconcile these two competing ideas? The trick is determining when the extra effort is really in line with the expected outcomes. Too often, we lose our focus on what's important and attempt to do things because we can, not because we must. If we stay focused on the expected outcomes of our efforts, there are opportunities to add a bit of sizzle without going overboard. You can make your 80% better than another's 100%.