Develop This: Economic and Community Development

With full employment, we all know the challenges in filling open positions.  Should your community consider military recruiting?

There are three military bases in the Beaufort County, South Carolina area, and the local economic development group has launched some interesting strategies to keep members of the armed forces and their dependents in the community as they exit service.  It doesn't hurt that they have an undisputed great quality of life.

In this episode, Dennis interviews John O'Toole, CEcD, executive director of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation  on the value proposition for recruiting and retaining military members and veterans in the community.

Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation

Being busy should not be the goal.  Productivity is a much better target.

Activity flows to fill the available time.  It is important to schedule your day, protect your calendar, and work hard to condense the time available to complete a given task.

In this episode, Dennis brings productivity expert Katy Trost back for part two of our three part series to explore ways in which we can better utilize our time.

One tip (and this could be very painful) is to consider logging each hour of your time for two weeks.  Then analyze your log.  Should you be delegating more?  Are you spending too much time micro-managing?

More about Katy Trost

Read the article on Forbes

There is no shortage of workforce programming initiatives, but are any of them actually moving the needle?  To our stakeholder groups, many of the various programs sound very similar, and it can be difficult to discern the differences between initiatives.

Maybe we should consider using an illustration to better show the link between PreK - Adult initiatives.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss the power behind a strong visual image.  One example is to imagine a robust talent pipeline with many entry and exit points.

Example of a Workforce Pipeline Illustration

In this episode, Dennis and Jason summarize the month that was including their takeaways from interviews with Marty Vanagas, Dr. Keith Sawyer, and Katy Trost.  They also talk a bit more about trade shows and stress on the job.  Hear some feedback from Wayne in Iowa and Caroline from Georgia.

The economic development profession is continuing to evolve due in large part to political forces, but it is difficult to know exactly how it will change.

Jay Garner with Garner Economics is back one last time to provide some thoughts on the future of the economic development industry.

In this episode, Dennis digs in to get some words of wisdom from one of our Titans of Site Selection:

-Always focus on the details

-Put the community ahead of everything else

-Your work is your signature

-Don't ever, ever, lie or promise guarantees unless you can deliver

-Successful economic development programs include three components including recruitment, retention, and entrepreneurship.

More About Jay Garner

It is important to set aggressive yet achievable goals for your organization.  But what about stretch goals?  How do they differ from 'regular' or 'traditional' goals?  Will they cause panic or will they motivate your group to achieve more than anyone thought possible?

in this episode, Dennis provides some tips for identifying stretch goals:

-They should not be easily achievable

-If you know exactly how you are going to get there, it is probably not a stretch goal.

-They will get people excited if you are bold

-Combine elements of stretch goals with SMART goals for maximum impact

Smarter Faster Better Book by Charles Duhigg

If you are looking to make a critical hire, consider using a professional recruiter.  The work we do in this business is vitally important, and having the right talent on the bus is key.

In this episode, Jason provides some tips and strategies for working with a professional recruiter to fill a key position.  He discusses fees, negotiations behind the scenes with your candidate of choice, and shares why recruiters can screen out courtesy interviews.

We absolutely must run more effective meetings.  Ineffective meetings waste time, disrupt your day, and demoralize the participants.

How can we get better? In this episode, Dennis interviews Katy Trost, a high performance coach accredited by the International Coach Federation and a contributor to Forbes magazine.

She works with entrepreneurs and executives who want to boost productivity and energy while reducing stress. She helps them structure their life and business around having more time and freedom. Her extensive knowledge and understanding of psychology and neuroscience combined with a deep passion for business and leadership enable her to facilitate others in transforming their perspective, performance, and peace of mind.

Katy's 7 Key Steps To Running Successful Meetings:

1. Start off strong

2. Set a clear intention

3. Leaders speak last

4. Acknowledge and validate

5. The person asking questions is in control

6. Share and ask for feedback

7. Set clear outcomes

More About Katy Trost

Read the original article on Forbes

The economic and community development profession is incredibly rewarding.  The job presents extraordinary opportunities, but sometimes, if can feel as though the weight of the world is resting on our shoulders.

How you cope with that pressure?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason share their experiences in managing stress.  Although it can be a powerful motivator, it can wear you down over time.

As a crowdsourced show, we want to hear from you.  How do you cope with the pressure of the job?

Email us at:

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We will share your responses during our March podcast roundup episode on March 29th.

Strategic planning for your community is great, but if you can add in a layer of futurist thinking, you can put together a very meaningful plan that gets ahead of the curve.  Marty Vanagas is back to give us some tips for layering in this futurist thinking.

In this episode, Dennis gets some advice from Marty for starting this 'design thinking' for your organization and your community.

Some basic tips include:

-Be specific with your questions of the future.  Determine a good focal question to begin the discussion.

-Imagine coming into your community for the very first time.  What do you notice?

-Look at the environment around you and scan it for trends.  How will those trends adjust in the future?

-Challenge old ways of thinking. 

Bespoke Futures Blog

KEDGE Futures Training