Disruption hits your economic development where it counts: jobs
Jobs used to be the big end goal for all economic development. When anyone discussed the economic future of your town, they talked about creating jobs, good jobs, especially recruiting outside companies to come in and create good jobs here.
Well, jobs just aren’t what they used to be.
- More and more people are working in non-traditional jobs that aren’t even jobs; they’re gigs, temporary and contingent work.
- Robots, apps and software are taking over jobs in manufacturing, retail, fast food, and all kinds of white collar careers.
- Entire industries are being disrupted, including some of your traditional anchor employers like banking, higher education, manufacturing and agriculture.
So what does “good jobs” even mean now? If incentives and recruitment are already seen as misguided or useless, what will the future bring? How will your leaders measure economic development progress without using jobs or recruitment?
That’s a little bit of a trick question, because I know you. I know that you’re not stuck in that view of the past. Whether your job description includes “economic developer” or not, you’re focusing on improving the quality of life in your community and supporting local businesses. That’s why you’re reading this email right now.
But you have some other people to persuade, don’t you? And you have a big job, getting your community ready for the next 30 years of intense change, or even just the next 10.
To prepare your community, you’ll have to be open to new ideas yourself, and so will other people in your community. It will take an entire crowd of local people working together on those new ideas. You you get there through the Idea Friendly method:
- You draw a crowd with a big vision.
- You turn the crowd into a capable network by building connections.
- You and the crowd accomplish the vision through taking small steps.
Why don’t you join Deb Brown and me for a conversation like this about small towns, the future and how we’ll help you make your place more Idea Friendly? We’ll be live on Sunday, Nov 27, at 6pm CST. You can catch the replay on demand through Dec 31, but only if you register now. There is no charge. It’s our holiday gift to you.