Monday, July 21, 2003
In a commonsense approach to a chronic problem, Toyota in Kentucky will be giving Northern Kentucky teachers and administrators a crash course in team work and problem solving.
Most EDPros have seen it: There is too often a wide cultural gap between educators and business people. They spend a lot of time talking past one another. It's not surprising when you think about it. Many teachers come from "education" families, and they have little or no direct experience in business.
This approach makes sense, and you can look like a hero if you set one of these courses up in your community. First, though, you need to find an enlightened employer like Toyota.
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Toyota teaches teamwork skills to Kentucky teachers
