{"id":516,"date":"2009-03-05T09:44:25","date_gmt":"2009-03-05T09:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localenterprise.wordpress.com\/?p=516"},"modified":"2009-03-05T09:44:25","modified_gmt":"2009-03-05T09:44:25","slug":"build-it-and-they-wont-come","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2009\/03\/05\/build-it-and-they-wont-come\/","title":{"rendered":"Build It – And They Won’t Come!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why are so many ‘entrepreneurial’ workspaces so empty? <\/span><\/p>\n

I have visited many recently. <\/span>Those that pursue sustainability through membership fees and rentals are often the emptiest. <\/span>Or full of people from out of town who can recognise a bargain when\/if they see one. <\/span>Those that recognise that local people often cannot afford to pay and therefore offer their services for free seem to have customers literally queuing up. <\/span>However these are written off as \u2018unsustainable\u2019. <\/span>Investing in the development of people \u2013 \u2018Obviously unsustainable\u2019!<\/p>\n

The symptoms are obvious to the semi-expert eye. <\/span>Tired signs saying ‘under offer’ for months without new tenants materialising? <\/span>Acres of untouched hot desk space. Continual assurances that we were busy yesterday. <\/span>Caterers that come and go \u2013 because the footfall that they anticipated has not materialised. <\/span><\/p>\n

Promises lying broken.<\/p>\n

When we build these places – WHY DON’T THEY COME?<\/p>\n

This is an important question. <\/span>And one that we CONSISTENTLY fail to address. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why do those charged with developing a more enterprising culture believe that building catalyst centres, managed workspaces, incubators and other spaces will somehow change the psychology, the prevailing beliefs of a community?<\/p>\n

Why is the “build it and they will come” mentality so prevalent? <\/span>And so successful in unlocking the wallets of planners, politicians and commissioners alike? <\/span><\/p>\n

Why in the face of refurbished or newly built, but largely empty, buildings do we insist on building yet more? <\/span>Is it in the name of job creation?<\/p>\n

We develop a more enterprising culture when we tell better, different stories. <\/span>Stories of hope, aspiration, potential and achievement. <\/span>Stories of progress, passion, skill and learning.<\/p>\n

When we provide respect, encouragement and transformational relationships built on trust and wisdom. <\/span>When we engage people as individuals and help them to clarify and achieve their own goals – not those pre-defined by some policy maker. <\/span><\/p>\n

When we listen to them talk about their hopes and dreams – not tell them about the great deal we can do them if they take rent our workspace.<\/p>\n

We don’t transform a culture by providing people with access to whitewashed vanilla workspaces and the chance to use a shared laptop with a keyboard <\/a>dirtier than a toilet seat.<\/p>\n

It is not just the waste of valuable resources that is so galling when we see buildings refurbished just because they can be. <\/span>It is the ongoing waste of money as we try to cover up our mistakes in a futile effort to make them work. <\/span>As commissioners cover their backs and hide behind and fall back on the recession as an excuse for their failed investments. <\/span>Buildings don\u2019t change cultures even in the good times. <\/span>They don\u2019t narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots even when the economy is on a roll. <\/span>People do. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now I hate to see a beautiful building falling into decay just as much as the next man. <\/span>But I hate to see the talent and potential of people being wasted even more. <\/span>Those buildings were a by-product of a vibrant, creative and enterprising community – not the cause of it. <\/span><\/p>\n

To develop a more enterprising culture we first have to stimulate the demand side – get more people wanting to do stuff. <\/span>Believing that THEY can do stuff. <\/span>That they have a right to succeed or at least try \u2013 and that they will be supported with care, compassion, competence and creativity. <\/span><\/p>\n

Only when this work on the demand side is underway and delivering tangible results should we invest in the infrastructure that they need – because then we have a chance of making an investment in something that people really want. <\/span><\/p>\n

Something that might just fit.<\/p>\n

Something to which they will come.<\/p>\n

NB Of course if you build high quality entrepreneurial spaces in places that are already enterprising<\/span> then they fill quickly.\u00a0 Anyone else see a pattern emerging here?<\/p>\n