There should be dissent on the road to success.
We must come together and critique one another – there isn’t a single thought that is the sole path to success for Lawton. But can we all agree that doing nothing is not an option? Too many among us want to tear down the bold visions and plans others craft without offering anything of substance ourselves. Can we agree to do better?
There has been a lot of discussion across our community about needing a vision for the future. A roadmap, so to speak. Regardless whether you subscribe to a secular worldview or are a person of faith, nearly every school of thought encourages us to plan. Biblical scripture teaches us, “where there is no vision, the people will perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)
What does that mean? The vision, we must conclude, is of an end state – a set of circumstances that represent, in part, a goal to achieve. It is not simply a checkered finish line but a map from A to B and plan to address foreseeable hurdles and shortfalls.
The greatest thinkers among us often begin with a vision of the end state. Before we go too much further, let’s discuss the term “end state”. End state doesn’t mean that the dreamers stop dreaming; it doesn’t mean that you have achieved all there is to achieve, and you can rest easy. Perhaps we should treat our mission not as a conclusion but rather a transition.
That said, a clear and concise vision of the end state ensures each and every one understands what is being planned. It also serves to validate the importance of the plan.
Not many of our neighbors are aware that the Lawton-Fort Sill community has a Five-Year Plan. It was crafted in 2018 by the Lawton-Fort Sill Working Group – a group of volunteers who serve as a bridge between the city of Lawton-Fort Sill and the Fires Center of Excellence. The plan became a priority when the community learned that prosperous communities communicated with their elected officials by way of a five-year plan. Since its inception, it has influenced a number of subsequent plans and much collaboration. It has been exhibited and utilized during the Chamber of Commerce visits to Washington D.C. and community planning sessions. It has a primary focused upon creating high-tech jobs, STEM education, health/wellness and transportation.
A plan is nothing if the goal isn’t something that all parties desire to work towards. The end result of the Lawton-Fort Sill Working Group is a guiding light that we should all embrace. It reminds our planners that what they are doing is for the greater good and the betterment of us all. The end state vision has a righteous purpose, and we must ensure our leaders stay on the right path.
Their desired end state is a vision of prosperity. It is not a vision of prosperity for a few. It is a vision of shared prosperity. At the end of their united efforts, the community should see a broad range of employment opportunities. The working group envisions high-tech jobs that maximize our commitment to STEM education. They see integration/assembly jobs that provide a broad base of support for manufacturing jobs across the region. They see retail jobs that cater to a flourishing economy. They see centers of excellence that foster innovation and serve to create the next generation of opportunity. And, most of all, they see a community that is committed to maintaining the needed capabilities that sustain prosperity over time.
Constructing the Framework: Social groups are focused upon thought leadership for business development. Everyone looks for opportunities from the unique perspective of their station in life. They seek to leverage the Fires Center of Excellence for ideas for business development – high-tech capabilities that will be needed for defense. They look to do branches and sequels off these needs for other sectors of the economy. At every opportunity, they want to generate another “center of excellence” for innovation. They search aggressively for funding for research and development (R&D) and science and technology (S&T).
The culture of innovation calls upon all available education resources. STEM education begins before kindergarten and extends into graduate school. The working group seeks to never view anything in isolation but with a holistic approach. They also endeavor to see that our community, with its defense industry and ever-growing requirements and its manufacturing capabilities enables our educators and the community as a whole to do more than inspire, encourage and learn – members of the group seek to combine our resources to market new educational approaches, techniques and capabilities as a product itself.
Our growing numbers will put a strain on existing retail and quality of life businesses. They look to be a part the innovation that will overcome those growing pains.
We can all hope that our growing numbers, and the broad panoply of well-paying jobs, will not only encourage but enable investment. City beautification and entertainment venues will flourish.
Addressing the Problem: Our community is not as prosperous as it needs to be in order to attract top employers and retain our youth. The solution cannot be to wallow in our failure and accept defeat. We must ACT! The working group has the end state, the vision and the plan. What they need is our constructive criticism and support.