Our small towns are the true gems of Montana, as are the folks who call these places home.  For four years now, we've been helping folks and small towns across the state "reimagine" a brighter future based on possibilities.  We've learned a few lessons along the way and want to share our own tips for small-town success.

1) LOOK FOR THE GOOD

Henry Ford was on to something when he said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”  There are two ways to look at the world.  You can fixate on the negative or focus on the positive. You’re right either way, but which one feels better?

When we begin to talk about our towns, we almost always automatically land on negative attributes. The negatives are easier to notice. You might have a couple examples that come immediately to mind. Maybe it’s the junk vehicles around town, the streets that are full of potholes, vacant buildings downtown, a school on the verge of closing.  You get the point.  And yet, while this approach may muster up some short-term energy, it won’t fuel long-term change. If all you ever see is the negative, you’ll never make progress, nor will you ever solve anything.  It’s a downward spiral of negativity. 

So, what can we do?  LOOK FOR THE GOOD.  It might require a little more effort but once you start, it becomes much easier to notice the qualities and attributes that make your community special. Take that negativity and turn it around. “We have so much to be thankful for in our town – the new playground equipment in the park and the pickleball court.  Our county fair is the best around.  I love having the river just a few blocks away.  It’s safe for my kids to play.”  This approach, my friends, is referred to as asset-based community development. 

An easy-peasy way to build positive momentum is to simply ask folks, “What do you love about (your town)?” You can do this in so many fun ways, at community events, on a community bulletin board at the local grocery store or post office, heck, even on social media. Ask your newcomers! Yep, believe it or not, you may have some newcomers who choose to move to your community. They bring fresh eyes, and their perspective is much different from folks who have lived in the same place for a long time.  They may even remind you about positive attributes you’ve come to take for granted. Begin to build a list of all the positive things about your community and then have a conversation about how you can make those things even better.

2) START WHERE YOU ARE

Baby steps, starting small, looking for low-hanging fruit, and easy wins are all terms we hear, but how do they relate to making our community a better place for everyone to live, work, and play?

Often, we see a similar trajectory of events when people get together and talk about their community. Usually, a synergy takes over and people become deliriously excited about ideas, needs, and potential projects.  When this occurs, the group usually enters the community improvement process at the speed of light full of vim, vigor, and great spirit. However, without instruction, a timeline, a proven strategy, and resources, the group makes little to no success or forward progress, gets overwhelmed, crashes, and burns.  Or, the group starts with a great idea, gets bogged down by how daunting it may seem, and fails to launch.  Either way, it is so easy to become overwhelmed.

This leads us to tip #2, START WHERE YOU ARE.  Awe, yes, the baby step analogy.  To achieve success and forward momentum, you must do a few things.  First, understand where your community is and what it possesses, and, most of all, be honest!  This can be done by assessing the community’s readiness level for change.   Another helpful tool is a community network analysis to assess who lives, works, and plays in your community. In other words, get to know your people.  Third, complete a community asset map, which is a method for identifying all your community’s positive attributes (remember tip #1? ).

An asset map helps a town identify the unique strengths and resources that its community possesses.  People, organizations, skills, physical buildings, events, natural amenities, include everything under the kitchen sink you can think of, and don’t be shy – ask others to do the same. Once you’ve got this great list started, be honest!  What strengths do you collectively possess?  How much capacity does your community have?  This means how much you can realistically do, given your available resources (assets).  This will help determine if you are ready to start a local community foundation (level 5) or an annual clean-up day (level 1). Both are very important community assets, yet they’re lightyears away when we talk about starting where you are at and the capacity of your community. Remember, your community is full of potential, and by starting where you are, you're taking the first step toward unlocking it.

 In a nutshell, it is A-OK, in fact, it is vital that you start where you are at, take small steps, create a couple of easy wins, and, most importantly, build on that success. Each achievement, no matter how small, is a stepping stone towards a better community. After all, positivity and success are contagious—they’ll grow, and so will your projects!

3) SHOW UP

It is so darn easy to become complacent and okay with the status quo. Wrapped up in our own day-to-day tasks, we forget about the obligation, privilege, and work it takes to make the greater community run smoothly until something, usually negative, happens that forces us into the right now.  Bewildered, we often wonder, how’d we get here?  Alright, I’ll say it, apathy.  When things are running smoothly, people go into autopilot mode not realizing everything in life that matters takes maintenance, even your community.  Weeds spring up, potholes emerge, businesses close. Usually, these transitions happen slowly, and before you know it, it is what it is (ugh).

In his book, Your City is Sick, Jeff Siegler offers many “golden nuggets” on community pride and civic engagement.  It's a great book, and I highly recommend it if you’re working to enhance your community. Siegler says, “A community can’t be loved until it loves itself.  Hoping someone from outside of your town can fix what’s wrong inside your town is some serious backward thinking.”  

This brings us to our third tip: SHOW UP. I have to give credit where it is due.  While at a community event for the local school, I was reacquainted with a recent returner, a younger mom and working professional who grew up in our small town, moved away for college, married, started a family, and was able to return and work remotely. We were joking around about how often we were seeing each other lately and she said something that stuck with me about community investment.  It’s so easy, you just have to show up. Wow!  How simple and so true.    

We often say small towns run on the backs of volunteers. This is true. Good people are doing the work that makes your town special. You can help; just show up. Attend a meeting, volunteer, or ask where you can help.  Showing up is probably the first step to improving your relationship with your community.  When you show up, you’ll expand your insight, understanding, and hopefully gain appreciation for the work that goes into running a vibrant community.  Or, even easier, attend a community event an organization is hosting.  Support the work of others.  Building civic pride starts at home, with you.  Just show up.