Bolts from the past/TalentForce.net blogs, part 2

July 06, 2006
Free Talent Zones
This is the first of a series of posts regarding a concept we developed in our book ‘Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business’.
In today’s post we posit the problem, in the second the solution and in the third a study and review of a State with the problem and suggestions to solve.
Local, State and Federal Governments in the United States and throughout the world are beginning to understand the simple fact that there are fewer people in the world available for work and thus input to the economy. Mortality rates have slowed to zero or zero negative in so many countries that now populating areas to keep commerce and tax rates up are becoming a question and strategy.
In a way, the US over the past 40 years has created what we define in our book Talent Force as a “Free Talent Zone” for our friends and neighbors from the south. The results have been positive and negative and thus the war of words has started and will likely continue for some time.
But there may be a different and unique way to think about attracting talent and the periphery commerce and tax base they can bring to an area. And that is what we introduce and explore here.
Historically, attracting and settling talent was the 40 acres and a mule offer post the Civil War. For most, that process worked. Land was provided with the tools to make the land a valued asset.
In the recent past at least two towns in the Midwest have attempted to attract people to their area in order to secure a depleting tax base as people died and children moved to the city. In these instances free land was offered….but no mule or tractor or work. As a result both attempts failed.
But the efforts caused us to consider just what these towns had to offer and what they could have done to make their efforts successful.
Next week we explore our solution.
July 06, 2006 Permalink Comments (0)