These assessments drill
down pretty deep into the strengths and weaknesses of a community. Every
community has both. The more forward thinking communities realize that without
a thorough assessment, change will come, but it may be by default and not by
design. Often, when strengths are identified there are plenty of folks
standing by to take the credit. But when weaknesses (liabilities) are
identified, sometimes we hear the word "they" instead of
"we". Maybe it is just human nature but most people identify
with winners and want to be around success.
It's not so much about
where the community actually is currently, but about where are they going be in
the future. How can they take advantage of the strengths and strategically
minimize weaknesses in order to make changes that result in positive outcomes?
Community and economic
development is a team sport: it takes many players on the field to properly
execute a strategy. Working together is a necessity.
Regardless of the size of the community or the amount of weaknesses or
strengths, it's amazing what happens if you don't care who gets the credit!
