Running for Local Government? Here’s how your economic development team describes you…
A few months ago I started building a framework that I hope can help elected Mayors and Councillors be more effective by not just understanding their local economies better, but also how their economic development teams actually work.
I decided a good start would be to ask my economic development colleagues from a range of locations for their opinion on how elected officials can work more productively with their economic development office (which of course is a win for both!).
My survey of economic development professionals received responses from the USA, Australia, South Korea, and from every province in Canada. The majority (76%) of respondents were current economic development professionals working in municipal or urban settings, but some had served other capacities such as serving on economic development boards or as consultants in the industry.
Here are some of the questions I asked:
- After a new Councillor or Mayor is elected, what are the best questions you wish they would ask you as they prepare their new strategic policy agenda?
- What is the #1 priority area that an elected official at the local / municipal level should be emphasizing in the years to come (1–5 years) with regard to the local economy?
- Which area(s) of the city’s economic development mandate are the most important for a Councillor or Mayor to understand in-depth?
..and a few others like that.
Unfortunately I’m not ready to release the findings just yet (I’m still going through the responses), but I thought a good sneak peak would be the answer to this question:
What top adjectives come to mind when describing the characteristics (attitudes, habits, actions, etc.) of an elected official who you would perceive as supportive of economic development?
Here are some of the words they used in response to this question:
Worldly
Innovative
Open-minded
Energetic
Entrepreneurial
Flexible
Open to policy change
Responsive
Willing to listen
Action-oriented
Coachable
Engaged
Supportive
Community-builder
Inclusive
Proactive
Business-friendly
Youthful
Analytical
Systems-thinker
Curious
Realistic
Optimistic
Available
Personable
Creative
Trustworthy
Motivated
Committed
Visionary
Patient
Hopeful
Positive
Adaptive
Relationship-focused
Humble
Play the long game
Inquisitive
Nimble
Transparent
Thoughtful
Active listener
Resilient
Imaginative
Fearless
Project Champion
Catalyst
Dreamer
Progressive
Forward-thinking
Non-traditional
Informed
Balanced
Strategic
Fair
Rational
And here’s a word cloud that demonstrates the frequency that the words came up (bigger font equals more frequent):
Next Steps
Elected officials obviously have many competing priorities, but understanding how their economic development mandates inform other elements of municipal policy can be instrumental in making them more effective on Council and on other bodies where they represent municipal interests.
If you’re running for or currently serving in local elected office, take some of these words to heart as you seek to understand your local and regional economy and the strategies available to take the economy forward by design and not default!
If you’d like to go deep into thought-leadership around city economies, I’ve compiled this list of who I think has influenced this field the most over the years. I’m curious about what books, leaders and other sources have influenced your perspectives on cities and their role as economic & innovation engines? Who’s missing from my list?
Thanks for reading & stay tuned for more results from the survey soon!
