Miles’ law is built around the quote, “Where you stand depends on where you sit.” This is a timeless quote from former federal bureaucrat and management guru Rufus Miles. It is useful to consider in these times of economic turbulence, technology change, and geopolitical realignment.
Any economic developer will tell you that location matters to the success of a business. For small businesses, being on the right side of the street can impact the flow of customer traffic. For larger businesses, it can impact their ability to secure talent, serve customers effectively, or expand and grow. Making their location attractive to their residents, businesses, and visitors is the priority of every mayor, councilman, or commissioner. Meanwhile, families strive to live in safe neighborhoods with good schools, or to improve the ones they’re in to enhance their quality of life.
Where do you stand? How is it impacting your business or outlook on life? For business leaders, does your location aid your growth and development, or hinder it? For civic leaders, are you satisfied with your competitiveness as a location? What is the market saying about you and how can you improve? For citizens, is your community adapting to a new world or falling behind? What are you doing to make it better?
Location matters – a lot. Let us be reminded this week that where you currently stand influences your current view of the world, but it does not ultimately determine our success. For businesses, no location is perfect. Communities need your feedback, expertise, and resources to get better. For civic leaders, remember that people and businesses have choices and can vote with their feet to seek different outcomes. Finally, we all must remember there is a big difference between being a resident and an active, informed citizen. Communities improve when people engage and make the effort to understand how to make things better.
From wherever we stand, let’s have a great week, lift each other up, and move forward together.