Presentation for a Strategic Doing workshop in Scotts Bluff, NE.

1. STRATEGIC DOING
FOR CONNECTING
WESTERN NEBRASKA
LEVERAGING BROADBAND
Ed Morrison
Economic Policy Advisor
Center for Regional Development | April 2012

2. What are the opportunities for
rural innovation in Western Nebraska?
How can we leverage broadband to
improve the quality of life?

3. Over the past 20 years, the state has gained a little over
15% in population; the Western region has lost a bit less
than 5%
Population Index 1990=100
120
Nebraska
115
110
105
100
Western
Nebraska
95
90
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

4. Population in the region has declines about 10% over the
last 30 years...most of the decline came in the 1980-1990
decade
Western Nebraska Population
100,000
87,500
75,000
62,500
50,000
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

5. Per capita income in the Western region has tracked the
growth in the state...
Per Capita Income
$50,000
Nebraska
$37,500
Western
Nebraska
$25,000
$12,500
$0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

6. A closer look shows that the Western region has
improved relative to the state...
Western Region Per Capita Income as % of the State
91%
89%
86%
84%
81%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

7. The region has some economic strengths to leverage
Agribusiness Mining
Primary Metal Mfg Biomedical/Biotechnical (Life Sciences)
Location Quotients
Cluster Employment
4
3.32
3
2.3
2
1.38
1.13
1
0
2010

8. Relative economic strengths within the region create
opportunities for collaboration
Primary Electrical Adv Defense/
County Agribusiness Mining Biomedical Arts Energy Education IT Printing Logistics Chemicals
Metals Equipment Materials Security
Banner X X
Box Butte X X X X X X
Cheyenne X X X X
Dawes X X X X
Deuel X X X X X
Garden X X X
Kimball X X X X X X
Morrill X X X
Scotts Bluff X X X
Sheridan X X X
Sioux X X X

9. Broadband Penetration
Innovation and knowledge are linked to
widespread Internet usage for individuals and
businesses. Federal Communication Commission
(FCC) provides data on the level of Internet
penetration, or broadband density. This measure is
residential broadband fixed connections per 1,000
households in 2009, a new data series the FCC
first released in early 2010.
Establishment Churn
Innovative and efficient companies replace
outdated establishments, or those firms unable to
modernize techniques and processes. Average
churn is a measure of total establishment births
and deaths, and expansions and contractions,
relative to the total number of firms in a region
for all years available.

10. Establishment Size
The sizes of establishments provide an indication
of a regional economy's structural composition.
Small establishments with fewer than 20
employees are flexible and not overburdened by a
bureaucratic organizational structure enabling
rapid changes to implement new ideas and evolve
with technology. On the other end of the
spectrum, large establishments with more than
500 employees have both the capital and labor
resources to fund research and other innovative
activities.

11. This workshop reflects a growing interest across the country in
new ways for building collaborations quickly...
What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?
11

12. Strategic doing is a managed process for building collaborations
quickly, guiding them toward measurable outcomes, and adjusting
along the way
Where are we going?
What could
we do
together?
When will The What
we get back Strategic Doing should we
together? Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?
How will we get there?
12

13. ‣ Thinking differently
‣ Behaving differently
‣ Doing differently

14. We start our journey with a clear definition of
economic development
14

18. Regional food
systems
Regional energy
systems
Tourism clusters
Innovation hubs
Education
innovations

19. That means abandoning old ideas of industrial recruitment and
developing new approaches to rural innovation and
entrepreneurship...
19

20. In our Grandfather’s economy, regions functioned with clear
boundaries
Economic
Cities and Development
Workforce Organizations
Towns
Boards
Social Service Chambers of
Counties Commerce
Organizations
Foundations Federal Agencies
Regional Planning
State Agencies Organizations
K-12 Schools
Higher Education
Institutions
20

21. As our Grandchildren’s economy is emerging, regions are not
responding all different.
Economic
Cities and Development
Workforce
Towns Organizations
Boards
Social Service Chambers of
Counties Commerce
Organizations
Foundations Federal Agencies
Regional Planning
State Agencies Organizations
K-12 Schools
Higher Education
Institutions
21

22. Our rural regions are covered with invisible fences that no
longer work...but continue to constrain us
22

23. ‣ Thinking differently
‣ Behaving differently
‣ Doing differently

24. Collaboration requires that we learn to behave differently....
24

25. We are heading to our Grandchildren’s economy which is full of
networks
A global map of Internet connections
25

26. Question: Who makes the iPhone?
Answer: A network led by Apple
The iPhone
production
network
26
19

27. Question: What is a regional food system?
A regional food system as one that supports long-term
connections between farmers and consumers while
meeting the economic, social, health and environmental
needs of the communities within a region.
27 Iowa State University

28. We need new thinking about rural regions in terms of the
networks that sustain them...
28

29. With deeper regional collaborations, new horizons of emerge
for rural regions as networks connect assets in new and
different ways....
29

30. Vermilion Advantage in East Central Illinois is an example of a
community building new networks....
30

31. Ponca City, Oklahoma is another region that is using networks
to build its economy....
31

32. The story of Greensburg, KS, wiped out by a tornado in
2007...now rebuilding as a model of sustainability....
32

33. Then, there’s Fairfield, IA with more restaurants per capita than
San Francisco....
33

34. ‣ Thinking differently
‣ Behaving differently
‣ Doing differently

35. Rule 1: No Whining

36. Rule 2: Guide Conversations

37. Rule 3: Create new networks of collaboration
Brainpower Innovation
21 Century Talent Entrepreneurship
Networks
Collaboration
Quality,
Connected
New Narratives Places

38. Rule 4: Don’t look for permission
Welcome to
The Permission Room

39. Rule 5: Close triangles...relentlessly
Bill 100 people
3 triangles a week per person
equals
You 15,600 new links per year
Cathy E-mail introductions
take 5 minutes

40. Rule 6: Go slowly now to go faster later:
Don’t start by boiling the ocean

41. Rule 7: Walk across the invisible fences
(They don’t work on humans)

42. Rule 8: Take the Shanghai perspective

43. Rule 9: Learn and practice Strategic Doing
What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?

44. Rule 10: Don’t forget to have fun

45. Rural regions that prosper will uncover a new approach
to leadership
Grandfather’s
What we need today
Leadership
Centralized Distributed, Shared
Single Leader Many Leaders
Command and control Link and leverage
Lead from the front Lead from front and rear
Lightbulb:We are the leaders we have been waiting for

46. If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more, you
are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

47. Western Nebraska Broadband Strategic Doing Pack Completed By:
Strategic Doing Pack
Today’s Date:
Describe our focus area for conversation:
What broadband opportunity brings us together?
Network Members
Name Organization e-mail

48. 1
What could
we do
together?
2
4 The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?
3

49. What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?

50. Strategic Doing Question 1:
What could we do together?
Map our assets...Connect them to define new opportunities
What assets do we have in our networks? What opportunities emerge when we connect these assets in new and
different ways?
People? Organizations? Resources? Experience?
Guide the conversation toward connections...What opportunities emerge that connect and align our assets? List as
many as five opportunities that emerge from our conversation
Opportunity 1
Opportunity 2
Opportunity 3
Opportunity 4
Opportunity 5

51. What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?

52. Strategic Doing Question 2:
What should we do together?
Pick one Opportunity and convert it to an Outcome with 3 characteristics...Define metrics to measure these characteristics...
Define a clear outcome that connects your team
What do we hope to accomplish?
What’s our “elevator speech” to get people excited?
Characteristics that define your Outcome Metrics to measure your success
What are the characteristics or features of our outcome? How do we describe it clearly? How will we measure each characteristic?
Characteristic 1 Metric 1
Characteristic 2 Metric 2
Characteristic 3 Metric 3
Strategic Doing Question 3a:
What will we do together?
Define how we will get to our outcome
Decide on a project with up to 3 milestones to mark our path
Define the project that moves you toward your outcome
What are we going to do to achieve our outcome?
Define your project pathway with milestones
Milestone1: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________
Milestone 2: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________
Milestone 3: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________

53. What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?

54. Strategic Doing Question 2:
What should we do together?
Pick one Opportunity and convert it to an Outcome with 3 characteristics...Define metrics to measure these characteristics...
Define a clear outcome that connects your team
What do we hope to accomplish?
What’s our “elevator speech” to get people excited?
Characteristics that define your Outcome Metrics to measure your success
What are the characteristics or features of our outcome? How do we describe it clearly? How will we measure each characteristic?
Characteristic 1 Metric 1
Characteristic 2 Metric 2
Characteristic 3 Metric 3
Strategic Doing Question 3a:
What will we do together?
Define how we will get to our outcome
Decide on a project with up to 3 milestones to mark our path
Define the project that moves you toward your outcome
What are we going to do to achieve our outcome?
Define your project pathway with milestones
Milestone1: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________
Milestone 2: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________
Milestone 3: By ____________________, we will ____________________________________________________________

55. What could
we do
together?
The What
What is
Strategic Doing should we
your 30/30?
Cycle do together?
What will
we do
together?

56. Strategic Doing Question 3b:
What will we do together?
Draft an action plan
Who Action Step By When
Strategic Doing Question 4:
What’s our 30/30?
Decide how we will follow -up
Follow-up Meeting Internet Details
How will we use the Internet to stay connected?
Date
Time
Place

57. Provides capital
and expertise Venture investor and
Start-up firms angel networks
Provides ideas,
incubators Accelerates
and smart people new venture
investment
Provides networks
Recruits Increases and mentoring to
smart people endowment start-ups
and generates in R&D assets
technology Provides
solutions investment
Provides and generates
partners wealth
Recruits and
trains
smart people Provides support to
innovating companies
Provides technologies
and people Innovating
Colleges and Stage 2
Provides
Universities Companies
smart people
and technology solutions
Source: Ed Morrison, Purdue Center for Regional Development. Distributed with Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution license

58. The "Chasm"
Percent of
regional
citizens Their Willing volunteers
close "The Pragmatists"
network
Core
team Passive
skeptics
Sore heads
Civic entrepreneurs

60. Next Steps: Developing Our
Strategic Action Plan (early version)
Purdue Center for Regional Development
http://www.pcrd.purdue.edu
Strategic Doing channel on Vimeo
http://vimeo.com/channels/strategicdoing