Economic Development Leaders Library

A collection of resources curated by the EDAM U Committee to facilitate on-demand learning and skill building.
If you have a resource you'd like to suggest, email EDAM U Committee member Jennifer Hawkins at hawki044@umn.edu.

June 2022

Resource type: Report
Title: Redefining Economic Development Performance Indicators for a Field in Transition
Description: How might you evaluate economic development outcomes and impacts beyond job creation and capital investment? This report, published by the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness in 2017, offers some ideas on that. They highlight possible metrics related to job quality, worker prosperity, and business dynamics.
Link: https://creconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Redefining-Economic-Development-Performance-Indicators-for-a-Field-in-Transition-CREC-2017.pdf

March 2022

Resource type: Online tools
Title: Business Resources Available to Minnesotans through Hennepin County Library System
Description: This video highlights business resources including a business plan builder, Reference Solutions (formerly known as ReferenceUSA), industry reports, and consumer data available to any Minnesotan with a library card through the Hennepin County library. To access the tools, individuals need only register their card with the Hennepin County library system.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAw0XPmlGw

January 2022

Resource type: Book
Title: Think Again
Description: This book, by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, explores how reconsidering, rethinking, and embracing new ideas and perspectives can help us more successfully navigate uncertain and rapidly changing situations.
Link: https://www.adamgrant.net/book/think-again/

December 2021

Resource type: Podcast
Title: PlanIt
Description: This podcast series is produced by Metropolitan Council. Each 20-minute episode explores a planning or economic development related topic. There are currently 40 topics to choose from.
Link: https://planit.libsyn.com/

November 2021

Resource type: Book
Title: Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets
Description: This classic community development manual highlights the ABCD, or Asset Based Community Development, approach. This approach focuses on leveraging existing assets and resources available within the community to advance development goals.
Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TouHEBgyvcAGmIWBJrDDOok-04caqQAu

October 2021

Resource type: Video
Title: Two for You - Intention
Description: This two-minute video explores how setting intentions helps us focus on the journey and the process rather than an end goal. It is part of a series of short videos on living and leading with intention produced by Leadership and Civic Engagement educators at the University of Minnesota Extension.
Link: https://extension.umn.edu/two-you-video-series/intention

September 2021

Resource type: Book
Title: Strategic Doing: 10 Skills for Agile Leadership
Description: This book provides insight into a new model for collaborative endeavors. It is designed to help people form collaborations quickly and move quickly toward a shared goal with measurable outcomes with a system to make adjustments along the way. It is a worthy concept for addressing the complex and shifting challenges we face.
Link: https://strategicdoing.net/agile-leadership/

August 2021

Resource type: Podcast
Title: DEVELOP THIS!
Description: This weekly podcast is hosted by three seasoned economic development professionals, Dennis Fraise (Lee County Economic Development Group), Jason Hutcheson (Greater Burlington Partnership) and Andy Sokolovich (Clinton Regional Development Corporation). Each week explores a topic related to community leadership including economic development, nonprofit management, organization management and policy development.
Link: http://developthispodcast.com/ or subscribe using your favorite podcast app