Is Your Community Change-Ready? A Few Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves (Part 1 of 2)

Communities across America are making a big comeback. For decades, many have been neglected and haven’t kept pace with the needs of citizens. But now, after years of economic uncertainty and cultural change, people are longing for a safe and stable home base—and in response, communities are looking for ways to transform themselves. Many are revitalizing their downtowns, shoring up their tax bases by attracting new businesses, and looking for ways to recruit and keep the “best and brightest” talent.

Most local leaders have gotten the message: We must improve the community experience for those who live here now andfor those we hope will come here.Laying the groundwork for change will create a best-odds environment. In fact, if you don’t have the right mindset going in—and do the right prep work up front—it’s easy to get derailed.

I am grateful to be able to say that Pensacola has experienced some success on our journey to vibrancy (though we certainly have more to do). More than a decade ago, we were struggling in the wake of many years of economic decline. Today, much has changed. Downtown is thriving. New businesses are popping up. More downtown construction is taking place than at any time in modern history.

Best of all, property values are soaring:  In the last four of five years, Pensacola has improved its assessed property value over 30 percent, has gotten investments in the downtown community up 60 percent, and has seen the population grow by 5.4 percent after years of decline.

Pensacola’s journey to vibrancy can serve as a blueprint for other communities. For us, it started with doing a lot of hard work up front to make sure we were truly change ready. We had to ask a lot of questions. That is most likely true of every community.

There are certain questions community leaders need to ask themselves when they are seeking to transform themselves. We’ll cover some of them here and more in the next blog post:

Do citizens believe that they own the community? People have been indoctrinated to believe government is the answer for community building. Until they change this belief, they’ll be stuck. That’s why the leaders must change the conversation and help citizens realize, This is our community. We, the people, are responsible for its well-being. This mindset shift is the first and most important step. Every action will flow from it. 

Are we prepared for the long game? Change takes a long, long time. There will be setbacks and failures. If you’re not prepared for this, you may give up too soon.

Will the change we’re seeking lead to economic growth? If not, don’t do it. Growth is almost always driven by private investment. It’s the key to job creation and a strong, sustainable tax base.

Can we live with discomfort? There will be pushback. People you fully expect to get behind a project won’t. You’re going to have to get comfortable with discomfort. Otherwise you’ll be tempted to seek consensus, and very little change comes out of consensus.

Do we have a strategy for dealing with the four types of people we’ll encounter? Studer says when you’re working to move a community forward, you can expect to encounter four types of people: those who are very much forthe changes, those who are very much againstthem, and two groups in between. If you don’t know how to deal with each type, there’s a good chance you’ll get too focused on the naysayers and neglect those who really could be helping you drive needed change.

Are we solving the right problems? Solutions are costly, and no one can afford to focus on the wrong issues. Start with hard metrics and track them. Pensacola hired Mason-Dixon Polling & Research to conduct its first quality of life survey back in 2007. Leaders also worked with the University of West Florida Office of Economic Development and Engagement to develop the Pensacola Metro Dashboard, which has 17 metrics that provide a snapshot of the community’s growth and its educational, economic, and social well-being.

Have we invested sufficiently in smart planning? A community must be able to see the 10,000-foot view. For example, should you invest in a river walk, bike path, or some other type of development? Where should buildings go for maximum impact? What types of businesses should you attract? Pensacola brought in Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO of Gallup, and Ray Gindroz, co-founder of Urban Design Associates, to help answer some of these questions. 

These questions are a good start for getting your community change-ready. Please check in next time for more. None of us know all of the answers but asking good questions is a powerful start. As always, thank you for reading…and happy questioning.