Monday, July 30, 2007
A community or a region needs places to convene to conduct conversations about the future. In some communities, conveners naturally emerge.
One option: The newspaper.
We see this pattern happening in Milwaukee, WI where the newspaper periodically convenes leaders to talk about the future. Read more.
The newspaper then serves a valuable role is identifying the patterns in the conversation. In this case, the paper clearly identified the vital importance of education to the region's economy. Read more.
In the old industrial economy, conversations were often dismissed as "just talk". In the new network economy, guided conversations are strategic. They are the way in which we make sense of things and create shared meaning.
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.
Convening in Milwaukee
