Monday, July 16, 2007
It's no secret. Most strategies spend their life on paper.
Implementation is tough, but it does not have to be. The most important step is defining a discipline of continuous review and recalibration.
Some fear this step because it leads to accountability. But we need to update our thinking. Accountability in the old industrial model of the economy is tightly tied to a system of reward and punishments. Accountability in the new networked economy is tied to learning. Without measures, it's difficult to see where you are and how far you have come. It's almost impossible to make sensible judgments about "What works?"
So simple disciplines matter. These thoughts came to me, as I looked over the Berkshire Blueprint's quarterly update. Reporting each quarter is an important discipline to implementing a strategy. Read more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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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.
The value of quarterly reporting
