Come to the table: Community partnerships for rural economic development

What images does the phrase "come to the table" or "at the table" evoke in you? A formal, elegant dining experience complete with candelabras and champagne flutes? Or a red checkered tablecloth, mismatched tableware, and flowers plucked from shrubs as the centerpiece? The title of this study of partnerships originated from the phrases "come to the table" and "at the table" used over 225 times by twenty-six interviewees to describe the partnerships they created, maintained, and in some cases, sustained for the purpose of creating economic development opportunities for their rural communities.;The people and sites studied provided rich insights into the components of partnerships needed in any community or organization for the purpose of achieving effective and lasting results. This multi-site comparative case study research was unique because it provided a rare opportunity to study a group of partnerships formed specifically in rural communities in the Southeast and, as part of the grant requirement, had to have involvement from the local community college or university.;An interviewee asked the researcher, "Was our success serendipitous?" There is much more to partnerships than serendipity or good luck, but those interested in forming partnerships need to be aware each one is different and must be evaluated with the unique contexts, people, and resources of local communities or business organizations. What common factors have to be present to get people to the table to create positive and relevant outcomes, or "a meal" for their local communities or organizations?;This study revealed the common factors that must be considered before attempting to partner, including the community's history and readiness to work together; partners' commitment to collaborate and involve "non-traditional" leaders in the partnership; the ability to get high level leaders to represent their respective organizations, be actively involved, and organize around realistic goals and objectives; and to develop reporting and accountability systems to ensure trust can develop and results are achieved.;The people who come to the table are critical. The leaders who are tapped must be willing to share power with one another, they need to have a sincere desire to help and enable others in their communities, observe basic meeting facilitation skills, such as meetings that last an hour or less, and possess communication skills that allow them to communicate at all levels of social strata. Additionally, all of the partnerships need that one person who is the "glue that binds" or "the hub of the wheel" who keeps the team organized, enthusiastic, and accountable to one another.;Community colleges serve many roles in their local communities, and untapped potential exists for them to better understand how they can positively influence change for the citizens of the areas they serve. Additionally, the colleges in this study realized many benefits of participation including outside funding, community goodwill, and recruiting potential new students.;Emergent themes from this study included the important role neutrality plays in team development, the role and compensation of the organizational driver, the role of the grant fiscal agent on the team, if the partnership is formed as a grant requirement, how coaching impacts team development, and the contribution of the non-credit functions within the community college or university, which was significant.;This research may be of interest to college administrators who want to better understand how they can redirect resources in their communities to serve all citizens in a way that is beneficial. Additionally, applications exist from the study to aid local economic developers, businesses and industries, and grant funders as study results provide insight into the inner-workings of effective collaborations for the purpose of effectively working together to create wealth for all citizens in rural communities.;This study provides probing insight in the actual functioning of the teams so that patterns and commonalities are revealed for the purpose of creating economic development opportunities for rural communities. Just like any culinary experience, the components -- table, place settings, diners -- are the same. What creates the difference between dining experiences are how those components are used. The same analogy applies to partnerships. The components are universal, but it is up to each team to determine how to use those components within the context of their community or organizations.