Start With What's Strong, Not With What's Wrong

Economic and community development work is hard. There can be many obstacles to making your community a better place to live and work. And many of those obstacles have been in place for a long time, resulting in residents thinking there is nothing they can do about them. This prolonged negative thinking can result in apathy, and negativity and apathy can be lethal in a community.

Instead of focusing on what's wrong in your community, focus first on what's right. Work with community leaders and residents to identify your community's crown jewels. Every community has unique assets, such as a local school, a tourist attraction, a strong local business or industry, or a charity doing great work. Identify your crown jewels and celebrate what they are doing in your community. Then, bring those assets together and discuss how they can collaborate to use their energy and success to create more collective momentum for your community. Then harness this energy and momentum to tackle your community's highest-priority problems.

Getting and sustaining the momentum necessary for change can be challenging if you always discuss what's wrong in your community. If you start with what's right, you begin with the energy and momentum necessary to change.

Start with what's strong and not with what's wrong to make your community a better place to live and work!