Why diversity matters Saturday, January 15, 2005 EDPro Dean Whittaker recently gave a talk to regional leaders in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. He echoed a theme they already know: When you are competing as a region in a global economy, not enough diversity hurts you. Read more. Here's why: We live in a world in which the future is unknowable. In this environment, diversity adds different perspectives and accelerates complex learning. As James Surowiecki has pointed out in his book, "The Wisdom of Crowds", a diverse group of people knows more. Diversity matters in another way. In diverse groups, individuals are more likely to share what they really think. So candor and trust can build more quickly, if there is sufficient leadership to guide the group. Diversity is critically important to large group intervention techniques like Appreciative Inquiry, developed at Case. Appreciative Inquiry is an effective framework for strategic learning that can engage thousands of people. With our colleagues at Cleveland State, we are busy adapting this framework to the needs of economic development professionals. Regions that will be competitive in the future will have thick networks of collaborations and civic habits of leadership that encourage diverse voices. Regional leaders will work hard to make their tables bigger and rounder. The reason: They will learn faster, spot opportunities faster, and -- utlimately -- act faster. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links 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. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: 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.

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