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Hadih and hello.
Top of the summer reading list for me has been a book that came out nine years ago but I just heard about. Yet the blunt wisdom behind 13 Ways To Kill Your Community by Doug Griffiths remains true and relevant today.
As the Alberta author points out, a book called How Right Attitudes Can Build A Strong Community sounds nice but everyone in every town already say they are doing all the right things and point at others – inside and outside of their community – to answer why their community (and their business) isn’t as successful as it could be. The negative and unhelpful expressions used by Griffiths catches honest readers – myself included – admitting that they’ve said similar things in the past.
There are nuggets of knowledge throughout but the chapters Don’t Attract Business, Shop Elsewhere, Live in the Past (and its companion Reject Everything New), Ignore Outsiders and Don’t Take Responsibility are particularly on the nose.
Attracting new business to the community means exposing existing local businesses (and their established owners) to competition that might damage or even destroy their operation.
Shopping local puts the obligation on community business owners to treat all of their customers fairly with quality, price, and service, accepting that those customers have every right to take their hard-earned dollars anywhere they like.
Living in the present and charging into the future, while embracing changes as opportunities, not obstacles, is risky and uncertain.
Listening to outsiders means accepting and acting on views from people who care far more about reality and facts than tradition and “but that won’t work in our town” dismissals.
Taking responsibility means never saying “somebody should…” and always saying “I/We should….”
“A community’s future truly rests within its own populace and their desire to achieve success,” Griffiths writes. “A community that believes it will succeed cannot be stopped by government or money. Conversely, a community that believes it will fail cannot be saved by government or money.”
Notice how substituting the word community for “business” or “organization” works well.
Speaking of taking responsibility, a heads up about a gathering planned for Sept. 4 from 5 to 8 pm at the Ramada. Prince George MLAs Rosalyn Bird and Kiel Giddens want to connect directly with business owners and operators to hear about the ongoing challenges with crime and safety. The MLAs want to know how you and your business have been affected and take that information back to Victoria to pressure the provincial government to take meaningful action.
This upcoming meeting and others like it are necessary if things are going to change for the better. A united voice speaking with common experience and knowledge is the surest way to protect our community and our businesses.
I look forward to seeing you there.
All the best in business,
Neil
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