Teamwork
noun |
team·work | \’tēm-.wƏrk\
:work
done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating
personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much – Hellen Keller
Teamwork makes the dream work - John C. Maxwell
It’s a term we hear all the time: TEAMWORK. There’s a reason
it’s everywhere…because it’s key to success. We really can do more when we work
as a team. Teamwork is the bedrock of Oregon’s TIM program and shows in the
work of our Regional TIM Teams. Ricky Love, the Operations and Emergency
Services Manager in Region 2, shared the purpose, importance and goals of our Region
2 TIM Teams, which cover Oregon’s northwest and central coast as well as the
Willamette Valley and surrounding areas (marked yellow on map).
Why were the TIM teams started?
We started the TIM teams for two primary reasons:
- The I-5 corridor through Region 2 experiences a high number of incidents throughout the year. Additionally, the I-5 corridor through Marion County has the top 5 hot spots for incidents in all of Region 2 and is among the highest in the state.
- Quarterly TIM meetings are an effective way to build strong relationships with our TIM partners and ensure we have a synchronized and collaborative effort when responding to incidents on our highways or planning/preparing for significant events that will impact our highways. A team approach to incident management is much more effective than several individual approaches.
What is the purpose of a TIM Team?
Our purpose is to build strong relationships and common
understanding amongst TIM partners in order to provide a planned and
coordinated multi-disciplinary response to incidents. By building our capacity
to work together, we can reduce the duration and impacts of traffic and improve
the safety of motorists, crash victims and emergency responders. Our Region 2
TIM team will develop and implement a viable strategy for incident response and
management as well as assess and modify our strategy as needed.
What are some short and long term goals of the TIM Team?
We conducted the initial meeting in Districts 3, 4, and 5 and
will develop more goals and objectives over the next several months. One of our short term goals is to increase
membership and participation in the TIM meeting to confirm we have all the
right TIM Partners at the table and ensure we are being inclusive. One of our
long term goals is to continually improve our incident clearance times. Each
quarter we will review our metrics to see where we are improving and where we
need to focus more attention. Through a collaborative effort we can establish
realistic goals and develop strategies to accomplish them.
How do these teams help us partner and collaborate across
disciplines?
TIM Teams are a great way to share information so all partners
have common situational awareness and
understand the intent and objectives of each discipline at an incident
and what capabilities and capacity each discipline can provide. It is more
effective to have these discussions in a team meeting than at the scene of an
incident.
Furthermore, having a diverse and inclusive TIM Team that
includes individuals with a variety of skills sets and different perspectives
is key. This generally produces better strategies and solutions to mitigate any
incidents on our highways than a team consisting of members with similar
expertise and viewpoints. All TIM partners have the same goal in mind at
an incident – to quickly and safely reopen our highways and reduce exposure times
of motorists, crash victims and emergency responders. An effective TIM Team
ensures that all TIM partners are operating off of the same “sheet of music” at
an incident or when dealing with other significant events that impact traffic
on our highways.
What are some successes we are already experiencing?
It’s a bit too early to answer this question in depth for Region
2 since we launched in June. We know that TIM teams in Region 3 and Region 4
have experienced success in incident clearance times since their TIM Teams were
established, and we hope to replicate and build on that success here in Region
2.
In our June meetings, we were very successful in demonstrating
the value of gathering together and received laudatory comments from many
stakeholders about our information sharing. Many TIM partners have volunteered
to host the meeting at their respective locations in the future and others
volunteered to provide training, briefings, etc.
Thank you Ricky for taking the time to tell us about TIM Teams!
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