Brownfield Grant Writing Tip #13 - Begin With The End In Mind (Part 1)

Habit 2 of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is "Begin with the end in mind." So, what do you want the brownfield site to be when it is cleaned up? That question may appear a little simple, but think about it for a moment. Is the site--right now--being used as you want it to be, what you dreamed it to be, producing at a level that you always wanted it to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find that the site has liability protection attached to it but still vacant--success that has come at the expense of things that would have created greater long-term value for your site. If your site's ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets your site to the wrong place faster.

Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize what the site and what you want it to be, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape your brownfield's end use. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination for the site, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your brownfield project is to develop a clear Redevelopment Objective for the site. It focuses on what you want the site to be and what you must do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms what you want the site to be, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world.  In an upcoming blog post, we'll discuss the importance of strong, defined leadership for the project.  Are you the leader or just the grant writer?  It's an important question that will make or break your proposal.

Good Luck!