Omaha By Design: Omaha, Only Better

by Ken Mayer

When I got my MBA more than two decades ago, there were widespread accusations that our business training was flawed. We were seen as short-sighted, interested only in the next quarterly report or stock price quote. We were, and are, Baby Boomers, after all famously seeking fast payback on our education and prone to instant gratification.

It was probably true. And the situation got worse, culminating in the current gyrations, bailouts, recriminations and general anxiety.

Fortunately, business and civic leaders in our city have been less inclined to participate in the fads and trends that have so gripped other parts of the country. They have practiced a sort of sustainable business philosophy that has tended to insulate us somewhat from the roller coaster ride.

Having participated in the Omaha brand of capitalism for many years, I got to wondering if some of the principals of good business dealings I learned at my father’s knee could be applied to making our city more sustainable in a host of ways. Here are a few practices that seem to work.

Think big. It’s precisely because we haven’t looked at things globally (pun intended) that we are in this fix. And it’s not just about the environment. It’s about what we want for ourselves and our city. It’s about using our imaginations and expecting ourselves to get it done. It’s probably why there are so many Fortune 500 companies here.

Embrace the diverse. This is a fundamental of both nature and investing. Diverse ecosystems thrive because they aren’t dependent on a narrow set of conditions, just as good portfolios can withstand market changes because they don’t depend on a single company or industry, much like Omaha’s economy.

Don’t waste even if you can afford to. Just because you have a lot of something doesn’t mean you can spend your resources badly. Good businesses understand what it takes to produce quality products and profits.

It’s not about you. It’s about all of us, for a very long time. Our notions of enlightened self interest need to extend beyond the boundaries of our yards and businesses.

Be prepared to sacrifice. Not because it builds character or makes you a better person or gets you points at church. Be prepared to give up some things because the community and the planet need them to ensure the future, and simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Accept limits and use them. A lot of important things have been achieved while working under constraints that stimulated thinking creatively to undertake and conquer challenges subject to resource availability. The Great Generation, parents of the Baby Boom, routinely got more done with less.

Finally, sustain the sustainability. Let’s make sure this isn’t just a fad or the latest do-gooder trend. We cannot allow good systems like public transportation to again be destroyed because money becomes more important than principles.

I urge you to attend the public meeting on December 4 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Scott Conference Center to kick off this new initiative.

Oh, and please bring your scruples, and open mind.