The Game of Economic Development - Playing to Win - Part 3
Last week I talked about the process of understanding who wants to join our game and our strategy for playing the game at the best of our ability as the competition is strong and we must be on point at all times. This week, "The Game of Economic Development - Playing to Win: Playing the Hand You're Dealt."
Play the Hand You’re Dealt
We’re continuing with our discussion on the “Game of Economic Development.” The first rule of the game may seem obvious. But I promise you that we are all guilty of forgetting this most basic rule. The first rule is, “You have to play the hand you’re dealt.” You may wish that you have someone else’s hand. For example, you may wish that you have a competitor’s hand, who is holding cards which include a major public university, access to two interstates, and the state capitol. But there is no “Chance” card to pull in this game which says, “Switch hands with the player of your choice.” We often spend wasted effort wishing that we had someone else’s hand -- or futilely trying to copy another community’s successful formula -- instead of creating our own.
We simply have to play OUR hand. We must take a look at our own assets and competitive position and come up with a strategy to win this very important game. It all starts with examining the cards that we’ve been dealt. Next week, we’ll talk about some of the card suits that are important to industry. We’ll also take a peek at our cards here in Dyer County. I hope you join us as we start to play the game.
