In part one of this article, I described a rapid strategic planning session for fire-service response time, and included a comment from one of the planners that he’d like to “see a fire station on every corner.” This was a terrific starting point because of the visual it presented.

Discussion about this possible solution for quick response brought further insight into the recommendation, without anyone judging or blaming, and allowed the group to explore the suggestion’s intent. The goal was to be able to get to the place of fire within a specified response time and eliminate the fire before it got out of control. Had more time been allowed, this insight and associated understanding would have set the stage for creating solutions that addressed discrepancies between the current reality and the desired ideal state. Creating a visual, whether mental, verbal, or physical, takes time and effort, but once the intent is clear, one can move to the next steps.

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