Run my Own Bathurst

“Look I agree with what you are trying to do but I’ve got different views to yours, so I’ll just run my own race”. I wonder if this is what Jamie Whincup said on Sunday afternoon to team boss Roland Dane when defying orders to pit. It was a response I received to a call for collaboration in trying to improve local business conditions. Apparently not everyone agrees with what I write. Expected, but to allow this to influence a decision that could benefit their and other local businesses wasn’t. Like Roland Dane, I’m saying there is a bigger picture here to consider – the continued socioeconomic growth of CQ. I share some ideas that may assist this in the hope that the people who have the resources consider putting them into action. Sometimes I get pro-active and try myself, like the Keep Rock Strong initiative. A planned collaborator connector and strategy tool to build greater awareness of locally owned businesses and their importance to the local economy. On Sunday with 21 laps to go Whincup decided solo was best for him while Craig Lowndes stuck with the collaborative tactic and won. It may have turned out different if television viewers saw the green light that Jamie did and he gone on to win the race. His maverick decision would be hailed as individualistic brilliance, especially after the drama of last year’s finish; happy days indeed. In the present economic conditions I believe local businesses have a better chance of happy days working collaboratively than blazing an individualist track. Strategies like contacting your clients with another business’s offer may go against the individualistic grain that built the business, but if that decision enables you to reach new potential customers because of a reciprocal agreement isn’t that worth considering, no matter who suggests it. Do take into account what can be individually gained and lost from the agreement, but also the bigger picture. Big picture goals of strong economic growth, full employment and higher standard of living across the board only happen from taking steps to achieve them. How often have different views on other issues prevented many of these steps from being taken in CQ? Is that really clever or defensible?