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Most of the Entrepreneurs I know don’t read a lot of books. Part of it is their personal make-up, part of it is they feel so busy trying make their business work, they rarely find time to sit and read. I couldn’t go a day without reading something for my personal pleasure. Lately I read a lot of books on business or social media. The social media books are easy, because the social media experts out there aren’t really the types who write long books or for that matter read too many books. That isn’t a slam on them, again, it is merely the way they are wired. But there are some books, and I have a feeling they are short and easy to read.

I came across a good blog that lists ten books every entrepreneur should read. David Cancel’s blog lists these ten books. I’ve read a few of them, but certainly if you are planning to start a business you should read this list and consider  some of the books on the list.

Take a look at my list of books I have reviewed over the past year. Many of these books are longer and aren’t necessarily ideal books for entrepreneurs, but I guarantee they will make you think about the world around you.  don’t tell me you don’t have time for books. I know you watched Dancing with the Stars last week. If you have time for that, you have time for a good read.

On Saturday, our organization, the Bloomington-Normal EDC hosted the first of what we hope is a twice a year event called “ED 101″. This education event was designed for our elected and appointed government officials but it was really open to anyone who wanted to come. We had a twenty-six city alderman town council members, and other elected and appointed officials attend. I have to say for the first time doing this it was very satisfying to see that many officials at the event.  We started at 8:30 am and went to noon with one break. I only saw one person nodding off but he collected himself at the break and had some more coffee. I have to congratulate these folks for taking their Saturday morning off to do this.

Economic Development 101 may sound somewhat boring, but the real purpose wasn’t to educate these folks about all the wonderful programs and to convince them that we are busy, rather the idea was to show them WHY we do things the way we do, and help them understand what they are investing in and what they should expect in terms of outcomes. One might say that we were in the process of managing expectations.

Isn’t “managing expectations” really what we do every day? From communicating with your spouse or children, to dealing with your customers, clients or co-workers, managing expectations, and doing it well is the key to success in all those areas. If a City Council member has as their only source of information traditional media, their expectation of economic development might be the tired and somewhat outdated idea that economic development revolves around attracting companies to the area with incentives. This usually involves expensive marketing, travel and media buys that are highly inefficient way of creating an economy that will sustain its self. That is one and one option and strategy in economic development.  But if we can educate this same group about our assets and how they translate into a different strategy, they won’t expect to read big headlines about the next 2,000 worker plant being located in Bloomington-Normal and hundreds of millions of dollars it cost to bring them here.

I think if you communicate clearly your goals and objectives to your audience and make them acutely aware of what a successful outcome or deliverable will be, your life becomes easier to manage.  That is what our goal was on Saturday: managing expectations, developing and communicating outcomes and deliverables. In the future, the elected officials that need to hear from us won’t wonder why we do economic development the way we do in Bloomington-Normal. They will already know.

Are you managing expectations? How are you doing it? Do you agree with me? Drop me a line and let me know.

One of the deliverable under the economic development sustainability plan that we  have created in my organization is the idea that we will create a “Sustainable and Green Directory”. In other words a directory of local business containing information about businesses providing sustainable services or business that are certified green. In addition we are developing an opportunity to develop a Green/Sustainable Business Certification program.

One of the more difficult things to do in any community is to identify companies that call themselves green. This is a new standard and it takes some time to understand as a company what does this means for you? Is recycling your pop cans and food waste enough? How about recycling all the product containers that go into your manufacturing process. Things like pallets, plastic containers, etc, can they be reused or recycled somehow?  What about chemicals and other noxious items, what are you doing about them? Can you find away to recycle them or dispose of them other than a landfill or down he drain?

I know business people who are very concerned about “the government” issuing these rules towards their business regulating some of these products and processes. They say can’t operate under this heavy burden of regulation. Fine. I ‘m with you. But how about taking some of these burdens and turning them into gold. I have to believe there are all types of entrepreneurial  business opportunities inside those regulations and issues.

Are you good at process and  do you consult companies on efficiency? Maybe there is an opportunity to consult with them on their sustainable practices. Are you a computer technology service provider? A local company is creating a “cloud computing center” here in town. This means huge capacity and the ability of companies to “off-source” their computing without having to create more carbon impact.  Get past the idea that a new environment is a burden and see what opportunities lie within.

If I lived in San Jose, California, I would merely refer to their “Green Vision” plan and find my opportunities. If you are a business in any community, talk to your local City Manager, or city Official and find out what their vision is. Sometimes your State might have a plan as well and determine what direction they are headed.  There is always green-gold in the hills if you look hard enough.

Much of economic development practices over the past several decades have concentrated on the idea that to be successful one must try to attract new business to your community. There are some (including me) who have thought this strategy is unsustainable. I have written here before about “growing your own” type of economic development and it has great merit and promise as more EDO’s adopt the practice. How does sustainable or green economic development play into this?

At the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) recent conference in Reno I had the privilege to participate in a Sustainability Roundtable. The session included a presentation by Paul Krutko, Director of Development for the City San Jose. I was very impressed with the aggressiveness of the City’s vision and execution of the plan.

The plan is impressive on many parts. It has ten “Green Vision Goals” encompassed by three categories:

1. Clean Tech Innovation
2. Sustainability
3. Green Mobility

Overall the City wants to create 25,000 Clean Tech jobs in 15 years. That is the primary measurable economic development goal that most people would recognize. But there are other goals as well, such as creating trails, planting trees diverting landfill waste, and other quality of life type of goals.

My conservative friends will say this is a colossal waste of time and money. I suppose it depends upon from which direction one views this effort. If one assumes that there is an unlimited amount of fossil fuels left in the world then yes, this is a waste of time and money. Assuming we can always tap the ground for oil and natural gas and never ever worry about it’s supply, we can keep on doing the things we are doing, which is to conduct out business and lives without a worry. But with others already making other assumptions (by others, I mean other countries and economies) contrary to that belief, we will be left behind. Doesn’t it make sense to try to take advantage of this new economy?

I believe that communities and regions that are “going green” will in the long term be more sustainable economies, will have growing industry and business that take advantage of these new technologies and help create jobs that pay well and fuel a local economy. This improves the quality of life, and makes our communities stronger. Communities and sub-economies that adapt will prosper. Isn’t that what the practice of economic development is all about?

If you are an economic development professional what are you doing to create a sustainable economy in your community? Even if you are not, what are your communities doing? Share your ideas here.

What motivates us? A big paycheck at the end of the week. More profits? Or, is doing good the bigger motivator? Does happiness and the knowledge that we are doing things under our own rules, and with a sense of purpose? Daniel Pink has written three bestselling books on the changing world of work and has worked in the federal government most recently as AL Gore’s speechwriter. But if you hear him speak and listen to what he has to say, you will know that he is not a government bureaucrat.

Our capitalistic norms tell us that financial incentives are what motivate us and drives our creativity. Pink shows us in this short video presentation that the social sciences don’t necessarily agree with that notion. In light of studies of the millennium generation and other ideas about generational changes Pink’s theories may have some merit. However, it goes against everything we have been taught and understand about the world of incentive and growth. Watch the video below:

What do you think? Do you agree with his assessment? Do the concepts of Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose resonate louder than the carrot and stick?

I am recently attended the International Economic Development Council’s annual conference. On the first day I attended two committee meetings. One meeting I and a colleague presided over the Public Policy Advisory Committee, and the second  meeting was the committee we report to, the External Relations committee. I am impressed by the number of people who are interested in and committed to their profession at these meetings. At one time I would have been one of the people sitting on the sideline being critical of people who participate in these type of activities, calling them “climbers”, egotistical brown-nosers or worse. Today I am right in there playing a role in the myriad activities and work that moves my  profession forward, and I am glad I am.

Participation. It is was the key word of the day. So many people these days don’t participate in anything important. Consider voting participation in elections. The last presidential election recorded record numbers of votes, but compared to other parts of the world we are shamefully low, in this country we like call the most democratic in the world.  Yet large numbers of people don’t participate in the most elemental civic activity of all.

At the local  level election participation is even lower. Local government has greater impact on one’s life than most other levels of government. Local government collects garbage, they clean streets, and send the police and fire departments when you need them. Local government plays a key role in economic development. But when local people are asked to participate in local government by being on a committee or board or serving in an elected capacity, they often say no. The thinking is someone else will do it.

Participate. Do something. Please don’t sit on the sideline and wait for something to happen to you.Participating has everything to do with happiness and success. Once you are involved in something, you have a sense that you are getting something done.

Traveling the highways and interstates over the past year I have noticed one thing. People drive fast. Everyone drives faster than me, at least. I send a lot if time driving one stretch of Illinois interstate which is fairly straight and even when I drive five miles over the speed limit of 65 I almost always get passed…constantly. At 70 mph I am one of the slowest drivers out there. Sure, there is the occasional blue hair or octogenarian that is actually going slower than 65, but that is rare. I don’t know how to judge how fast other people are going when they pass me, but at the least they have to be going about  75 and probably all the way up to  80 or 90 plus.

One of the most interesting things I note about these speeders is that, and mind you this is not scientific, most of them are driving big SUV’s or trucks.  Either people with small fast sports cars don’t travel much anymore or they all live in Southern California. Here in the Midwest people going fast driving large hulking vehicles.

In another case of speeding, I often note that folks in town who like to speed are either young people or again, people in trucks and SUV’s. I will leave the analysis of speeding young people alone. I was once young and liked to speed around. Gassing it between stop signs much to the chagrin of my father who had to pay for worn out brakes much too often, the wearing down of brake pads being the result of fast acceleration and hardstops. Of course the boys down at Midas loved me.  As for drivers and trucks of SUVs’ I can only come to the conclusion that when behind the wheel of these big machines one feels all powerful and strong and speed is a result of adrenaline rush associated with these machines.

So here comes the big generalization. When I think about the people who drive these big trucks and cars with reckless abandon all I can generalize is that they are really into their cars, themselves and what they feel is their inherent right to drive fast and frankly put the rest of us in danger. I am not talking about the person who drives truck or SUV for work or livelyhood, no I am talking about the selfish road hog who has the attitidue of this “get out of my way, cause imma com’n through”.

But this isn”t a diatribe against SUV owners, seriously it is not. This is about opportunity.

One problem I have is that I tend to be curious about everything or at least mundane things that most people wouldn’t care about. I think I am this way, because I believe the little things add up to the big things in life. If you are speeding the down the road, you are probably speeding through life. If you are unaware of your surroundings from the perch high in your truck, you are unaware of life around you.  Slowing down does wonders for a person. Slowing down and being still can refresh you and make you think about the things that really matter. Slowing down brings you close to your God, your creator or your soul, whatever you believe.

Can you be too curious, too introspective, where one  becomes oblivious? I suspect so.

Slow down today. Put the cruise on 64 mph. Not 65, but 64, just to be different. Count how many cars pass you, and also count the gas mileage savings. You will get to your destination in due time, and it is unlikely that the people you were racing down the highway aren’t going to the same place anyway, so you well get there before them. Remember your seats at Wrigley Field  are reserved.

Leave early, observe, and be patient. This is your opportunity too note that life isn’t always about getting there first, but the quality of the journey.  And to my truck-driving and SUV owning friends, I still love you and need to borrow your vehicle next weekend, I’ve got some stuff I want to move.

The other day a colleague and I had a breakfast meeting in a local restaurant. It was a fairly new place in the skeleton of a former chain that once existed there. The location, for the car -loving public is perfect. Next to a mall (recently redone) along the busiest thoroughfare in town. The other important fact was the restaurant was seemingly locally owned. I like to frequent the places owned by someone local. I have determined my patronizing of the place will add just a little more to their bottom line and we all win.

I have to tell you the meal was excellent, and the service was outstanding. I was concerned going in, because I had heard mixed reviews. I ordered my breakfast a specific way. There were at least three things I wanted the waitress to tell the chef, and apparently she did, and lo and behold the chef followed my instructions. Perfect.

Everything was good about the place, except one thing. I might as well had been sitting outside at a picnic because almost the whole time I kept batting away a fly or flies, too hard to tell which one it was. My colleague pointed out that there was at least a dozen more by the big picture window flying around. Neither one of us had the dexterity of President Obama, and where unable to execute a  single fly. And if you did, what would you do with it while in the midst of eating one’s breakfast?

After ending our meeting, and as we where paying, the manager/host who was taking our payment asked in his most obligatory voice, how was “everything” was.  Since he said “everything”, I thought this gave me a window to point out how happy I was with the meal and the service, but they needed to do something about the flies.

Now I know that many times these managers running local places have a fifty-fifty chance of having been trained in restaurant management. Perhaps he was son of the owner and had lived the restaurant life since he was a young boy. Or on the other hand he may have been plucked from the staff of the local Denny’s and looked promising  enough for the owner to  make him the morning manager for an extra dollar an hour above the minimum wage.  Had I said something negative about the food, or service, I’m sure the young man would have looked at me with  that “too bad, so sad” kind of look and said “sorry”.

First of all when I told him how happy I was with the meal and the service, he started to smile sheepishly and take great comfort  in my words, but that coutenance changed when I told him about his fly problem.

Here is what happened next: He started to tell me why they had so many flies. He wanted to give me a reason for the existence of thess creatures that everyone associates with pestilence, and disease and general uncleanliness. We flee indoors from flies, right? In an instant I was horrified and ticked off that he would even go in that direction. Does he really want to give me a reason why these miniature rats with wings are occupying so much of his space and bothering the customers I assume he wants as repeat patrons.

My knee-jerk reaction was to hold up my hand in my best “talk-to-the-hand-because-the head-ain’t-listening” fashion, and say, “listen, I really don’t care why you have flies in the restaurant, I just really think you ought to work hard to get rid of them”. Looking back I think I may have been too harsh, but turthfully, why make an excuse for flies?

Why train your employees to ask a question that might elicit a response that would require them to make an excuse for the operation or service of the business. The response of the junior manager was to get huffy with me and not want to do anything but defensive. Perhaps rightfully so, because no one had trained him to deal with the issue. What he was good at was going on the defensive, and reaching for the best excuse he could think of at that moment in time.

The best response would have been to acknowledge the problem, apologize for inconvenience or stress it might have caused me, and promise to fix the problem. Finally an invite back to the restaurant when things have improved would be appropriate along with a promise to fix the problem. That simple. Instead, the manager wanted to provide an excuse.

This is too long of a post to say what I want to say. But if you send more time defending your company’s or organization’s actions, perhaps you are doing something wrong. Maybe you are not listening to your customer well enough. Perhaps you are entrenched, or perhaps you need new ways of finding out what you need to improve. Are you defending flies?

I will probably go back, because I really enjoyed the breakfast. But there are other signs of excuse-centered customer service that I will be looking for. If they haven’t improved…adios.