THE RURBAN FRINGE

Managing Great Expectations

Expectations are notoriously difficult to manage. 
For better or worse, I encounter this all the time in my line of work … where terminology such as ”community economic development” or “rural revitalization” cause blank stares, at best, or total misinterpretation, at worse.
Expectations are toughest to manage when people don’t know what to expect.    
So, when dealing with stakeholders on projects, programs or initiatives, [...]

Why Your Strategic Plan Stinks

I don’t have a five-year plan.  There.  I’ve said it.
Hold on a minute, you say, isn’t strategic planning essential stuff these days?  Certainly every organization I know – profit and non-profit alike – claims to have some sort of long-term strategic plan in place. 
Judging by the proliferation of publications and seminars on the subject, long-range strategic planning is [...]

Stop Scapegoating Community Organizing

Oftentimes, ‘community organizing’ gets a bad rap … but why? 
I tend to view the term in its broadest sense, in that I don’t believe it should be used to tell anyone how to vote or how to feel about particular issues, but that it can assist groups in developing an effective message, communicating that message, developing a strategic [...]

Speak Loudly and Carry a Very Small Stick

… a lot of small sticks can kindle a great fire.

The Art of Community Building

Community building is part art, part science.  Just getting out there and spreading the word is not enough, community organizers and facilitators also need to understand the nuances of working with people from a variety of backgrounds as well as apply the principles of good, old-fashioned relationship-building.
Command and control is dead. 
To fully engage people to work for the [...]

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