Diamond Towns of America
Diamond Towns of America (DTA) is a Muscatine-based consulting company that implements a multi-faceted and innovative process in order to improve the lives of people in towns with populations between 2,500 and 25,000.
Diamond Towns provides experts who work with local representatives to bring measurable and meaningful improvements in the eleven ‘facets’ of community activity that lead to joyful and abundant lives.
Our deliberate process of comprehensive community development is based on research and observation of numerous rural communities. The process works because it simultaneously addresses all eleven facets. The facets are interwoven and need to be considered together.
Diamond Towns of America Facets
See an overview of each of the Facet Action Teams
Many towns are inhibited in their drive to excellence by multiple barriers:
• Absence of a formal community vision & recognized leadership
• Absence of a sustained process of improvement
• Inadequate communication
• Failure to recognize assets & opportunities
• Lack of volunteers & financial resources
• Failure to objectively measure outcomes
The mission of Diamond Towns of America is to enable towns to be effective and efficient, leading to joy, abundance, and a better quality of life for residents. This process is done by identifying and affirming a town’s positive attributes, strong leadership, and opportunities for growth. Diamond Towns assists in securing funding for the components of a proven, sustainable, and innovative process of improvement.
The Diamond Towns process transforms these barriers into opportunities which are achieved by identifying available assets, addressing root causes, measuring progress, and focusing on prevention. Using the Diamond Towns’ process, a diamond in the rough can be polished to brilliance.
The Good Ship ENTERPRISE (GSE) is Sinking
Click here to view a full-resolution PDF of the Good Ship Enterprise
Muscatine is illustrative of small town USA, so let’s think of Muscatine as “(E)NTERPRISE.”
The ship has three decks: business, government, non-profit/charitable/philanthropic (also known as private, public and citizen sectors).
Each deck has the same number of holds. Eleven (11) holds for sake of illustration. A hold for Education, Economics, Recreation, Housing, Aesthetics and so forth. There is a common understanding in each hold that that specific hold is the most important hold of all because it contains the most important products (programs). Little thought or recognition is given to the fact that the other holds are of equal importance. No one is thinking of X town as an enterprise.
There are just single holds on the ENTERPRISE. Each hold is made of permeable material, so that a leak in one hold on one deck permits water to enter all of the other 32 holds over a period of time. There is no leak meter or alarm system which informs other holds of a leak in hold 17 or 28 or 3 or 33. No one in any of the holds has the concept of an entire ship in her consciousness. There is no common understanding of what the cargo is or the destination. Leaks abound. No Lloyds syndicate would consider underwriting ENTERPRISE, but we pour time, talent and treasure into all of the holds every day of our life. Why? Because we care.
Each and every person who is responsible for his hold is a good person, a person of skill, energy and goodwill. There is no captain of the GSE — not in X town or Y town or A town or G town is there a captain. There is never a captain for any GSE; just ad hoc.
There are many attitudes on GSE. Those who control the Business deck see themselves as the only deck which can get its act together. They have little respect or tolerance for the other decks, which cannot ever produce effectively or efficiently. Government regulations and taxes are arch enemies and are often publicly referred to as such. Business often organizes and campaigns to oppose government and taxes. Business likes charitable work and does contribute time, talent and treasure.
But down deep, business people do not understand do-gooders, who think with their hearts more than their brains. Do-gooders never really solve problems, take proper advantage of opportunities or produce real change. Sure, this could be an overstatement, but generally business people think and act like business people, not like government-elected officials or beaucrats; nor do they wish to be a part of needless charities, which produce no lasting improvements. In fact, charity can be a real annoying part of the problem by fostering an attitude of ‘entitlement.’ Do not feed fish; teach fishing, doggone it!
It is not the job of the Business deck (Private sector) to think or act primarily in the interest of the other two decks. Their principal job is to create wealth for the owners of that individual company. They do care about the people of the other desks and the people on their own deck. They do care, but that is not their principal interest. If they make money for the company owners, all others inside and outside of the company will benefit. To business, the other two decks are not helpful to the business deck — tolerated, recognized, but can be real distractions — kind of like chewing gum on the soles of business. We vote, we contribute our talents, time and treasures. Don’t bug us. We are good people, too.
It would be possible to do an analysis of the Government deck (Public sector) from the perspective of elected officials and of bureaucrats (who resent that negatively-tinged term, of course). Suffice it to say that the Government deck does not enjoy being made fun of at any time. At this moment of decreasing revenues, their lives are professionally miserable. Everybody seems to be at their throats. Citizens on the street are upset; even fellow workers are fearful and edgy. It is not a fun time to be a government worker at any level. Citizens are becoming more and more shrill. It affects workers and their families.
It would be possible to do an analysis of the Charitable deck (Citizen sector). They, too, are under increasing professional stress these days, what with increasing demand for services and reducing supply of contributions. It affects workers, volunteers and their families. Foreclosures and divorce rates are increasing on this deck, just as they are on the other two decks.
So, who is in charge of this ship? Who is responsible for identifying the cargo, destination, safety and propulsion of the Good Ship ENTERPRISE? No one is. The ship and its cargo is trying to be saved without a pilot or a general plan. A ship that is made like a sieve. We are trying to bend, cut, strengthen a wire in the hold of education, health or some other facet by moving deck chairs.
We are working on the Citizen sector deck, trying to use Private sector methods. It is the right thing for us to do because we care and because we can. Bless us all. You and I come from business. Business makes the World go around; it works. We deal in thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions. We define problems, turn the problems into opportunities and get the job done. We have done it all of our lives. It is who we are. We are good at our crafts. And we are busting our butts, trying to repair and turn this rotten ship. We are fish out of water, so to speak.
The alternatives are to work harder, work smarter or quit.
If we are to be helpful and effective with our heartbeats, we must be organized and directed for statistically provable improvements A.S.A.P. We must apply sound business practices and lean methods. It is who we are. It is how we think and behave. How to do that without command and control, in a ship built for nuance? We must work smarter. None of us is as smart as all of us. It is exciting, invigorating, and practical to think this way!
Let’s get our ship together. No pun intended, of course. Fun, on the other hand, is essential to our success and sustainability.
In Muscatine, the Future Pearls, also known as the Muscatine Center for Non-Profits (the former Lindsay building, 30,000 sq. ft. of deal back-office space) is in place to serve your needs. As a center for non-profits, it evokes synergy and cooperation. It is a beautiful space, built for success and smiles. It is a wonderful place, a wonderful tool. Use it, please, at no cost.
We’d love to have you on board.
Please call 563-506-3605 or email Paul Carroll at pcarroll@diamondtownsofamerica.com to volunteer on one of our 11 Facet Action Teams, or to obtain more information.
All you need is time to attend one or two meetings a month and a willingness to make life better.
