People don’t like being told what to do.  I know I don’t.

But what people do like, is believing they have decided to do something for themselves.  And do you know what the biggest influencer is on people’s behaviours?  Other people. 

People do what they see people doing.

If you want community members, co-workers, neighbours, friends, family and others to do something … you need them to see other people doing it. 

How? 

Highlight groups or individuals who are taking action, encouraging others to join in.  Ask for ideas and feedback … and let folks know who said what.  Develop a specific event to encourage the action or behaviour you wish to see.  

Sometimes, your biggest influence … is your subtle influence.

Related Posts:

• The Art of Community Building
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• Reasons to Engage Your Community
• Arts and Culture Matter
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While getting groceries the other day, I patiently waited while other shoppers lined up their purchases by the till.  More often than not, it seemed to be a mish-mash of items (hot dog buns, cottage cheese, pepper, and toothpaste, as one example) which led me to think … this is what communities do.

That is, many communities like to pick and choose a hodge-podge of projects, ideas, or approaches … in the hopes that the mix will turn out to be a success. 

But like the buns, cottage cheese, and pepper – an interesting mix does not necessarily guarantee a tasty result.

Too often, picking and choosing when and where to throw resources, develop partnerships, or invest talents – without a larger vision or goal in mind – ends up in failure. 

For example, what about those communities who pick and choose to apply their land use controls and zoning authority to  limit activities in certain areas?  Does this realistically address sustainable and desirable community growth while minimizing any longer-term social or environmental impacts?  It may, if it is part of broader vision, or it may not (and cause more harm) if such actions are taken independently of one another.    

Community Economic Development (CED) is often thought of as such a mix – a dog’s breakfast, if you will – of policies, systems, and best case scenarios.  And I reluctantly admit it can be.

But the process of CED also encourages regional, collaborative strategies so that participants can increase their overall economic clout. 

While the goal of a business is to pick and choose the best location, staff, and resources in order to make a profit in the marketplace, a community is the whole kit-and-kaboodle … you’ve got businesses, the unemployed, rich, poor, clergy, criminals, children … it’s a situation that requires different development and planning methods.

And through strategic planning, regular communication between partners, and resource coordination, for instance, items, projects, or issues of community importance can be prudently addressed.

Yes?  Or no?

Related Posts:

• Highways and Byways
• The Facts About Entrepreneurship II
• The Economic Impact of Community Pathways
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With so much going on this month, please read on to discover …

• The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) is looking for organizations who have done a return-on-investment (ROI) or social-return-on-investment calculation (SROI) on their programs and services … examples and calculations will be compiled and shared to assist other agencies with demonstrating the value of community economic development approaches.  Contact Kirsten Bernas at kbernas@ccednet-rcdec.ca.  
• The Cultivating and Sustaining Your Creative Economy event is being hosted in Toronto, ON on February 28th & 29th, 2012.  Visit www.creativecitiescanada.com to view the agenda and to register.   
• As local governments are faced with ever-increasing pressures, Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) has developed a webpage of resources to support inter-municipal efforts – including sample agreements, research reports, publications, and links to additional programs and services.  The information can be found here.
• A recent report, released by the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus, presents information aimed at better understanding how university students from rural backgrounds view the relationship between rural communities and civic and political engagement.  Learn more here. 
• New information has been released on the Community Information Database (CID), a free Internet-based tool providing social, economic, and demographic data for all communities and regions across Canada.  Resource-reliant indicators, residential property taxable values, property tax revenues, and updated population estimates are now available. 
• An interesting podcast – Understanding “Rural” Canada: Terms, Trends, and Policy (Centre for Open Learning and Educational Development, University of Guelph).
• Farmon.com is looking to hire an online business coach to serve rural clients!  Click through for more information.  Deadline to apply is January 31, 2012.

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