Collaboration and Bringing People Together
- Christopher Lopez
- Jan 10, 2023
- 2 min read
One of my favorite things to do is to bring people together. In my experience, I've found that some of the best solutions come from individuals who may not necessarily have the most robust experience or knowledge in a particular subject area. I am reminded of the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi in The Book of Five Rings where he encourages individuals to know as many arts and skills in trying to master and refine a specific set of skills. The importance of adjusting your strategy when the situation calls for it was also a key lesson in his writing.
In 2015, the City of San Bernardino was grappling with significant amounts of illegal dumping, and was unable to collectively manage the blight associated with illegal dumps. After discussing the issue with the Mayor, and various other managers, we needed a comprehensive strategy that was much broader than just "Public Works."
We envisioned a solution that included Public Works, our refuse hauler, police, fire, code compliance, city manager staff, Mayoral staff, parks and recreation, our homeless services provider, and the attorney's office. We formed an initial group of staff tasked with identifying the challenges, and set out to work collaboratively to tackle the issue. What started off as a pilot project eventually morphed into a full fledged program with over 20 dedicated staff members working together to tackle blight.
The team had so much success that it received an award from Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) for its innovative approach to tackling this issue. (I've included links to the positive articles about the program at the end of the post.)
As a result, many cities soon adopted similar type teams, but the successes of the Quality of Life (QOL) team were well documented and successful.
A proposal was brought forward to the Council and they overwhelmingly supported the program with a 7-0 vote. For those who want an understanding of the intricacies of the program, and how it worked, I have included the resolution and the program parameters here.
I would like to add that one of my best friends, Rich Lawhead, led this innovative initiative. He made sure that the program operated in the most efficient and effective manner, and instilled a team atmosphere everyday. He was able to motivate and complete projects like nobody I have ever seen and would make it a point to bring everyone out to see the work being done and also acknowledging the work everyone put in. Rich remains my friend to this day, and he led all the incredible aspects of the team and so every ounce of kudos and appreciation is owed to him due to his incredible leadership.
Bottom line: collaboration and bringing people together to solve problems is the only way to do it.
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