Rethinking Davos

Greetings.  Another World Economic Forum has come and gone with even less attention than in the past.  And that seems a bit strange given that the world's economic problems seem to be even more daunting.  But at least the usual cast of government leaders, corporate executives and world-class academics had another chance to debate strategies for avoiding "Eurogeddon," the continuing problems of the global financial sector, restoring the housing market, reviving manufacturing and spreading economic prosperity and a higher quality of life to people across the developing the world.  And in a somewhat bizarre and amusing twist, Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund brought an exceedingly large designer handbag to the gathering in an attempt–albeit mostly symbolic–to encourage developing countries to contribute to the IMF.  Possibly so the organization would have the resources to bail out several developed countries that have somehow lost their way.  

Maybe part of the problem with "Davos," as this event is affectionately called, is the fact that not enough "real" people are invited.  You know, people who actually make up the global economy at its best and worst.  Now I know that the titans of government and industry are kind of like "real" people, but what if they decided to change the mix of attendees to include more entrepreneurs and cutting edge managers from a variety of cultures, industries and companies of all sizes who are successfully building businesses in today's economy.  And public sector managers who have figured out how to deliver more effective government services with much lower cost and complexity.  And visionaries from smaller nonprofit organizations that have figured out clever ways to empower people to create greater economic opportunity through a variety of means.  And students from the world's renowned and not-so-renowned universities who have already begun to use their learning and innate genius to create the innovations required to solve our most pressing challenges.  And families working hard to reinvent their own economics.  And people determined to collaborate from countries unwilling to communicate.

People who are the agenda…coming together to set the agenda.  Rather than the elite looking to frame the agenda and ask each other for money.

If they tried this modest "tweak" they might discover even more possibilities and solutions.  Just like leading companies do when they seek to listen to all of their customers and employees.

We win in business and in life when we try to bring the right people to the table.  And when we give them a chance to shape the future.

Cheers!