Public and community engagement, involvement and participation is what we are doing as consultants. It is also what we help others do most effectively. We work with teams, companies and agencies on reaching consensus through public participation and collaboration. We usually find ourselves bridging divides by creating spaces where people are willing to participate to build solutions. Community engagement builds consensus. And below you have some of the best of the news and tips that we have found about how to engage communities. Or what happens when you do not. The latest news handpicked by our public sector consultants, all wrapped up with a sometimes snarky – yet always informed – perspective. Enjoy!
When I first ran across this linked story, I felt equal amounts of recognition and frustration – reluctant resignation that the author, Robert Graboyes, is mostly right, and anger that Graboyes is mostly right. I debated even including it in this newsletter. But even though I don’t agree with everything ...
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In almost every community engagement effort there will come a time when at least some of the people involved will need to sit down and work out the details of whatever they’ve been engaging in. Everyone’s usually worked hard to get to the point where they’re willing to have a ...
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New renewable energy projects are booming and will continue to do so as long as the business benefits, demand and economics pencil out. But, a lot of large, utility-scale solar projects are running into community roadblocks in spite of their presumed squeaky clean image. People living near these proposed projects ...
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When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.” This quote, often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, may sound harsh, but the new normal that we’re all experiencing under the current regime in Washington requires some thought about what it really means to be impartial. I don’t know how anyone can remain truly ...
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The idea of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is not just under attack in the U.S., it’s in the process of annihilation. It’s been repackaged and branded, along with the term “woke”, as vile concepts that have no place in society. And, as of this writing, the concept of empathy ...
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Gloom, despair and agony is pretty easy to wallow in for a lot of peple these days, but if you pay attention, there is light at the end of the tunnel....
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In working with one of the advisory type groups that I facilitate, there are frequent occasions when invited speakers are given a finite amount of time to present whatever information needs to be shared with our folks.
This often poses a challenge because: (1) experts love to talk at length ...
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I think I’ve been surveyed beyond exhaustion for quite some time now. Every major and minor encounter results in a text or email asking for my feedback (to serve me better), and unless I’m either joyfully giddy or mad enough to sue, I tend to ignore it. Don’t ...
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You talk too much. We all do. Culture has evolved and social media has given everyone a handheld megaphone. Fleeting thoughts take on an importance that must be immediately shared with the rest of humanity.
As a result, everyone’s talking and few people are hearing much of what they’re saying. ...
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Urban cores are changing. When people started evacuating offices in favor of working in the hinterlands and exurbs, downtowns changed overnight. Although employers are trying to entice some people back into offices, nobody believes that urban cores will ever be quite what they were pre-pandemic. But what these buildings, spaces ...
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