I am writing this column for the April Carlsbad Business Journal just following the conclusion of the Chamber's 85th Anniversary and Annual Installation and Award Dinner. Nearly 700 people attended what was our biggest and most successful annual dinner ever. I would encourage you to scour the insert in this edition of the CBJ to re-live the evening. The successful evening was evidence again of the growing health and vibrancy of the Carlsbad Chamber. My sincere congratulations to Ted Owen for his inspired leadership of the chamber team, and Lisa Manemann, director of special events, for planning and organizing such an outstanding event.
No doubt each of us has recognized how rapidly change occurs in our lives. In “The 500 Year Delta,” Taylor, Wacker and Means wrote, “Once upon a time, you could live in three tenses, the past, the present and the future. There was time to consult history; there was time to plan for what lay ahead … The present tense was spent managing the transfer of the past into the future and imagining what that future might be … Today, under the pressure of accelerating change, the past and the future have been fused into a single tense: the present. The present is “real time” and real time is the “only time.”
Acknowledging this, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Carlsbad Chamber have spent considerable time and effort to develop a set of Strategic Priorities to guide the organization during the next three years. Planning is characterized by its involvement:
… with the future;
… with action;
… by people of action!
Planning helps the effective organization answer the following questions:
• What should be done?
• Why should it be done?
• When should it be done?
• Where should it be done?
• How should it be done?
• Who should do it?
The Chamber identified four over-arching areas of focus in developing the 2007, 2009 Strategic Priorities:
1. Community Development
“Collaborate with public and private organizations to improve and maintain the 'quality of life' for all who work, live, learn and play in Carlsbad.”
A. Safety
Participate in disaster planning and preparedness.
B. Education
Support a strong and growing education system at all grade levels including higher education.
Support business-oriented programs that include internships, entrepreneurial programs and workforce development.
C. Housing
Support and encourage affordable housing opportunities.
D. Services
Support transportation infrastructure.
Address water supply issues (i.e. desalination)
Support parks and recreation
E. Arts and Culture
Support arts education
Encourage cultural opportunities such as theater, concerts, art events.
F. Social Impact
Encourage pride of citizenship by participating and communicating
in civic matters.
2. Economic Development
“Expand the economic base by helping local businesses grow; provide a strong local economy that creates jobs and provides a better lifestyle.”
A. Economic Impacts
Help our businesses thrive.
Facilitate job creation.
Support the economic vitality of downtown Carlsbad.
Participate in development and redevelopment planning with government and community.
Maintain support for armed services presence in the region.
B. Social Impacts
Address issues with transportation (air, mass transit, local roads)
C. Environmental Impacts
Support new water resources.
Encourage energy resources.
Address pollution issues such as air, water and noise.
D. Infrastructure
Support Police and Fire
Support Parks and Recreation
3. Member Services
“Provide our members the “return on their investment” by developing and producing quality programs and services for all segments of our membership.”
A. Prospective member
Identification and acquisition
B. Engagement and Retention
Networking opportunities
Small Business Success Center
Continuous communication
Efficient and responsive customer service
C. Membership Retention
Research
D. Return On Investment (ROI)
Benefits
Programs
Services
4. Public Policy
“Provide our businesses strong, knowledgeable and influential advocacy before government, in an effective and timely manner to ensure a business friendly environment at a local, county, state and federal level.”
A. Advocacy and Education
Review all state and federal laws that impact business.
Expand the chamber's role as an effective political advocate for the business community.
Keep members informed through newspaper, website and “legislative alerts”.
Maintain Public Policy Guide that provides direction to the Board of Directors.
For the benefit of our chamber members, we will soon have the complete Chamber 2007 -2009 Strategic Priorities on the chamber's website. Please visit www.Carlsbad.org
No doubt each of us has recognized how rapidly change occurs in our lives. In “The 500 Year Delta,” Taylor, Wacker and Means wrote, “Once upon a time, you could live in three tenses, the past, the present and the future. There was time to consult history; there was time to plan for what lay ahead … The present tense was spent managing the transfer of the past into the future and imagining what that future might be … Today, under the pressure of accelerating change, the past and the future have been fused into a single tense: the present. The present is “real time” and real time is the “only time.”
Acknowledging this, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Carlsbad Chamber have spent considerable time and effort to develop a set of Strategic Priorities to guide the organization during the next three years. Planning is characterized by its involvement:
… with the future;
… with action;
… by people of action!
Planning helps the effective organization answer the following questions:
• What should be done?
• Why should it be done?
• When should it be done?
• Where should it be done?
• How should it be done?
• Who should do it?
The Chamber identified four over-arching areas of focus in developing the 2007, 2009 Strategic Priorities:
1. Community Development
“Collaborate with public and private organizations to improve and maintain the 'quality of life' for all who work, live, learn and play in Carlsbad.”
A. Safety
Participate in disaster planning and preparedness.
B. Education
Support a strong and growing education system at all grade levels including higher education.
Support business-oriented programs that include internships, entrepreneurial programs and workforce development.
C. Housing
Support and encourage affordable housing opportunities.
D. Services
Support transportation infrastructure.
Address water supply issues (i.e. desalination)
Support parks and recreation
E. Arts and Culture
Support arts education
Encourage cultural opportunities such as theater, concerts, art events.
F. Social Impact
Encourage pride of citizenship by participating and communicating
in civic matters.
2. Economic Development
“Expand the economic base by helping local businesses grow; provide a strong local economy that creates jobs and provides a better lifestyle.”
A. Economic Impacts
Help our businesses thrive.
Facilitate job creation.
Support the economic vitality of downtown Carlsbad.
Participate in development and redevelopment planning with government and community.
Maintain support for armed services presence in the region.
B. Social Impacts
Address issues with transportation (air, mass transit, local roads)
C. Environmental Impacts
Support new water resources.
Encourage energy resources.
Address pollution issues such as air, water and noise.
D. Infrastructure
Support Police and Fire
Support Parks and Recreation
3. Member Services
“Provide our members the “return on their investment” by developing and producing quality programs and services for all segments of our membership.”
A. Prospective member
Identification and acquisition
B. Engagement and Retention
Networking opportunities
Small Business Success Center
Continuous communication
Efficient and responsive customer service
C. Membership Retention
Research
D. Return On Investment (ROI)
Benefits
Programs
Services
4. Public Policy
“Provide our businesses strong, knowledgeable and influential advocacy before government, in an effective and timely manner to ensure a business friendly environment at a local, county, state and federal level.”
A. Advocacy and Education
Review all state and federal laws that impact business.
Expand the chamber's role as an effective political advocate for the business community.
Keep members informed through newspaper, website and “legislative alerts”.
Maintain Public Policy Guide that provides direction to the Board of Directors.
For the benefit of our chamber members, we will soon have the complete Chamber 2007 -2009 Strategic Priorities on the chamber's website. Please visit www.Carlsbad.org