Reopening Your Community: How to Get Good Decisions Across the Finish Line

Reopening a community that’s been shut down for months is not easy. When navigating unprecedented waters, “easy” isn’t possible. After all there are no proven metrics. The research we have to pull from is based on a reality that no longer applies. There’s not much to base decisions on except for people’s guesses and opinions—and there’s an endless supply of those.

The result is that communities trying to make vital decisions can end up paralyzed. They may have great ideas…but it doesn’t matter how great an idea is if people can’t agree enough to get things done. (I’ve seen it in so many communities: the reason great ideas fail is an inability to execute.)

For example: as restaurants open back up, guidelines require that they do so at very limited capacity. (In Florida, it’s 50%.) Also, patrons who sit outdoors must follow social distancing guidelines. The challenge is that with such limited seating capacity it’s tough to be profitable. Communities need to find a way to create enough seating to allow restaurants to survive.

Recently, I was in a big meeting where a community was trying to get people to agree on closing down Main Street in order to provide more outdoor dining space. It was tough. In fact, the tone of the meeting made it hard to tell that we were all on the same team.

Finding good solutions means community and business leaders must work together. For the reasons I mentioned earlier, that’s not easy!

Thankfully, I’m an optimist at heart. I believe communities can and will find a way to work together to reopen in a way that allows small businesses to survive. There is just too much at stake for us not to find a way.

Leaders, here are a few suggestions when presenting reopening ideas:

1. Try lots of things and make it clear that this is an experiment. 

Spell out that you’re trying things that may or may not work, and the ideas being put forth are meant to be short term, not forever. Communicating these things will hopefully ease people’s anxiety so they’ll be willing to have a discussion rather than rejecting ideas up front.

2. Leaders: meet in advance in small groups to discuss options, get feedback and figure out some creative workable solutions BEFORE you get to the big meeting. 

By the time the big meeting happens emotions will have taken over. Anecdotal scenarios will rule. This gives you a chance to present meaningful options that have support.

3. Pay attention to how you ask the question. 

For example, don’t ask: “Should we close down main street?” Instead, ask “How can we get more outdoor dining so our restaurants can survive?” The need for small businesses to stay open so a community can thrive is the “burning platform” that will get people to listen and be willing to work together.

4. Offer up options. Don’t present “all or nothing” ideas. 

You might suggest that Main Street close down between 6 and 9 pm Thursday through Monday and allow curbside pick up the rest of the time. Or you might ask retailers if they’d be willing to allow some tables in front of their business. When people have choices they’re more likely to be open to new ideas.

5. Again, reiterate that these are temporary solutions. 

When people realize a solution is not forever they’re less likely to get hung up on how it looks right now, or how inconvenient it may be in the moment. When people realize it can help their local businesses survive they may realize an imperfect solution is a (short term) sacrifice worth making.

6. Don’t forget to ask: Can we really execute on the solution? 

One community has a big grassy area. At first glance it seemed to make sense to be put the outdoor dining area there. But at the same time, people need to be able to avoid big crowds to maintain safe social distance. We realized it might be hard to meet both conditions.

7. Hold up the mirror. Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? 

It’s easy for people to get divided and that is the death knell for communities. While you can’t control what other people do, you can control how you behave—and that may very well influence others to be calmer, more thoughtful, and more considerate.

8. Connect back to the why. 

Helping our small businesses make it to the other side of this thing is critical. We may have to do some things that aren’t ideal for the short term, but helping each other survive is the very foundation of a community. Remember that when you are having these discussions.

Finally, don’t miss a chance to remind people that we’re all in this together. A rising tide lifts all boats. A surviving and thriving community benefits all citizens. In the heat of the moment it’s easy for people to forget this truth and to see others as adversaries. We need to treat each other with respect and dignity as we seek to reopen, rebuilt, and recommit to the journey to vibrancy.

Cover image by Steven Lelham.

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About the Author

Quint Studer is author of Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive. He is founder of Pensacola’s Studer Community Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the community’s quality of life, and Vibrant Community Partners, which coaches communities in building out a blueprint for achieving growth and excellence. Quint speaks and works with communities across the country, helping them execute on their strategic plans, create a better quality of life, and attract and retain talent and investment. He is a businessman, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to many. He currently serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of West Florida, Executive-in-Residence at George Washington University, and Lecturer at Cornell University.

For more information, please visit www.thebusyleadershandbook.com, www.vibrantcommunityblueprint.com, and www.studeri.org.