Do you think our schools are still graduating “widget producers?” – SCN Encourager

The Harvard Business Review says we are.

And we should be proud of this.

After all, a healthy and dynamic economy depends upon a steady increase in marketplace transactions; with a wide range of various “widgets” available to meet our wants and needs.

We’re all connected (in some way) to goods and services being created, promoted, sold, delivered, maintained, improved, and eventually disrupted.

Now as much as I would like to expand upon many of the advantages our “free enterprise” system, I can’t!

About 35 years ago my mom tossed out my extensive baseball card collection while I was away at college.

And thus, down the drain went any chance I ever had at joining the ranks of the upper 1%.

I can’t say I wasn’t warned.

But Mom was the kind who could only nag you for so long before taking action.

She also was strategic.

She’d wait until you were miles away and then you were forced to find out whatever she did the hard way.

I tell you this because I wouldn’t blame you if you only accepted my personal economic perspective with a grain of salt.

Perhaps even less.

But remember, today’s tidbit wasn’t something I just dreamed up last night.

(At least I’m fairly certain it wasn’t.)

It comes in roundabout fashion from the Harvard Business Review.

This means it’s grounded in professors, research, theories, and a few colorful charts.

So here ’tis.

The HBR says we – our nation, our schools – are still preparing students for factory work.

Only our factories have changed.

But fortunately, so has our preparation.

So… our schools are on it.

(You deserve a lot of credit for this, by the way! Yay, YOU!)

We know many of our “factories” are much smaller today – often just a person or a tiny team working on their laptops – and the final product usually involves the creation, manufacture, and implementation of IDEAS.

That’s right.

The most popular WIDGET being produced in 2017 is THE IDEA.

And this isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

I share this because if you’re ever trying to connect today’s parents and grandparents to the good things happening in your district, this common ground might be helpful in your communications.

Now, you’ll have to come up with your own free enterprise message points, though.

No thanks to my mom.

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