Saturday, February 12, 2005
One of the important lessons of complex systems is that small steps can have big consequences. Here's an example. In Blue Springs, MO, the chamber and the city are coming together in an economic development partnership. Learn more.
Why should we congratulate the leadership in Blue Springs? A couple of reasons come to mind.
First, for those of us who work in local economic development, we understand that collaboration -- building trust -- is not a trivial challenge. It takes leadership, constancy, and discipline. Any community that can bridge historical divisions has accomplished the first step toward a prosperous future.
Second, we are competing in a new type of economy, an economy based on the generation of knowledge, not the control of resources. Value networks are replacing value chains. Control is a less powerful concept than collaboration. The Internet has become both a practical tool and a powerful metaphor. In this world only those communities that learn new civic habits of collaboration are likely to survive.
One more thing: On the way to civic collaboration, people discover that they have more fun. They find that learning is more pleasant than arguing; faith is more fulfilling than fear.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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.
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.
Leadership in Blue Springs, MO
