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Fiesta provides fun atmosphere for program kick-off
McCOOK, Neb., - Community development has always been about numbers. Creating jobs. Economic growth. Investing in infrastructure.
But according to a University of Nebraska professor, economic development also involves a psychological factor. Dr. Lindsay Hastings serves as the Clifton Professor in Mentoring Research and Director of Nebraska Human Resources Institute, a leadership development organization at UNL. Dr. Hastings presented information about other aspects of economic development for rural communities to a group of local business leaders Wednesday at the McCook Economic Development Corporation’s “Fiesta”.
Dr. Hastings told the group that $75 trillion will be transferred from one generation to the next between now and 2060. As the leaders of rural communities retire and die, they will pass their assets to children, who often live in higher population areas.
But according to Dr. Hastings the financial transfer is not the only concern. “We are in the middle of the largest transfer of wealth we’ve ever seen. But it’s not just a wealth issue, it’s also a leadership issue.” That’s because currently employed individuals age 45 and older hold 56 percent of all management positions. “So we will be transferring over half of all management occupations. As baby boomers are retiring, there will be a sizable exodus of people in leadership.”
So developing new leaders who are dedicated to the community and are optimistic about its future is an important component to community and economic development.
In a Nebraska Rural poll conducted in 2015, 75 percent of those polled indicated that strong effective leadership would prevent their community’s decline and that problems could be solved through effective leadership, but only 40 percent indicated that their community was actually preparing the next generation to be effective leaders.
Dr. Hastings shared research conducted concerning the development of leadership in three communities that had been intentional about leadership transfer. She said that in these communities a small group of leaders who possessed “grit with hope” got together and accomplished a community development initiative. That may have been passing a sales tax, hiring and economic development director, or some other form of economic development. As a result, there was a wide-spread “hope” among the larger community that the future would be positive. As a result of this widespread hope, more people were interested in getting engaged. “Being involved became cool.”
“Never underestimate the power of hope,” Dr. Hastings said. She said that hope can spread throughout a rural community and broaden the base of those ready to take on leadership roles. “Communicate often and broadly. That way, the larger community is seeing and recognizing community development efforts. Every community development initiative doesn’t have to be perfect or wildly successful, but the spread of hope, through a group of leaders willing to do something, is critical to broadening the base of those willing to get involved. That creates a good environment for new people to step into leadership roles. The more we can get people involved, the larger base we have to draw from for new leadership positions.”
Two new programs
The McCook Economic Development Corporation is unveiling two new programs that directly relate to the presentation made by Dr. Hastings.
The McCook Mastermind Alliance will be a group of highly motivated, like-minded people who meet weekly to focus on leadership development. Through a small group of 8-10 people, participants will discuss challenges and successes in their organization and brainstorm about ways to create an inclusive community for new leaders. According to their brochure, “Mastermind groups come together for a single purpose - to foster personal and professional growth and development, drive results, and realize the attainment of your goals through accountability.”
The hope is that several small groups of 8-10 people can be formed, with meeting times spread throughout the week. Applications for the McCook Mastermind Alliance are available at http://bit.ly/2O36gnX and need to be completed by September 1.
The Accelerated Interns of McCook is a program where businesses can bring high school or college students on as an employee over an eight week period during the summer. But instead of the business being solely responsible for identifying and developing their intern, this program will assist in recruiting and training and provide students with a 2-day leadership orientation prior to their start date. The students will meet bi-weekly at student group meetings throughout the summer, and complete ten service hours during the summer. The program will also assist employers in completing Intern NE application that aids in the expense of an intern. Grants are also available for each participating business. The deadline for businesses to apply is December 1 and the deadline for students to apply is February 15.
If you have any questions about either of these programs, contact Andy at 308-345-1200 or e-mail andy@mccookne.org.