Collaboration Is a Two-Way Street

Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) increase face-to-face collaboration and put all relevant partners in a room together by design. As large-scale emergencies continue to happen, this collaboration is essential. But how can we create a similar environment with virtual tools and processes? Virtual EOCs and teleconferences can replicate the physical space, but it is incumbent on all government levels, especially the federal government, to actively use these tools and create an environment of honest information sharing.

The key to collaboration is trust and open dialogue. All levels of government are responsible for fostering an environment of collaboration by demonstrating to their partners that they are acting in good faith. Any breach of that trust will set back collaboration efforts and make it harder to regain trust.

In a virtual environment, instilling trust and collaboration is especially important. Virtual information spaces are ineffective if they remain empty. Follow-through is the most effective way to demonstrate trust and to instill habits of accountability, collaboration, and respect among yourself and your partners.

The Federal government can set a collaborative tone when working with state and local agencies. For example, they can proactively share information to demonstrate that information can flow in both directions. Federal government employees can take the lead in remote situations and set a high standard of collaboration by following a few of these guidelines:

• Keep it short – Have frequent and concise meetings. Virtual meetings can lose interest faster than in-person meetings. Keep them short to maintain everyone’s attention

• Meet “face to face” – Use video conferencing solutions whenever possible. People are more likely to engage with a stakeholder if they have face to face meetings, even in a virtual environment

• Lead by example – Make information available to all levels that you receive information from, as allowable under classifications

• Be honest – If information or resources cannot be shared, let partners know

• Respect your partners – If state and local partners do not feel valued, they will be unlikely to volunteer information

Miscommunication or mistrust at any government level does the entire Homeland Security apparatus a disservice, especially during a crisis. As we continue to increase remote work, developing good virtual collaboration habits now will set government partners up for success in the future.