Sahuarita town manager urges small businesses to plan intentionally and protect time for strategy

Alex Marianes, economic development specialist for the Town of Sahuarita and host of the Grow in Sahuarita podcast, interviewed Shane, the town manager, about how municipal strategic-planning practices can help small businesses set long-term direction and grow intentionally.

Shane said strategic planning "in its simplest form" means "knowing where you're at, knowing where you want to be, and plotting a course to get there." He described how the town uses multi-year planning to coordinate more than "over 200 employees" and said the same disciplined approach can make small businesses more efficient.

"Consistency, honestly," Shane said when asked what leaders should prioritize. He urged owners to carve out protected calendar time for big-picture thinking—calling it "office time"—and said that time should be treated as sacrosanct so day-to-day demands don't derail long-term work. "It's my time and it's my time to think about the big picture," he said.

To illustrate steady leadership, Shane recounted the Amundsen–Scott comparison popularized in business literature: one team advanced by measured daily progress while the other surged in good weather and stalled in bad weather. "The intent, the very careful strategic intention in how Amundsen's team advanced under Amundsen's leadership" showed the value of steady, predictable progress, he said.

Shane also emphasized that leadership can emerge anywhere in an organization and encouraged managers to foster collaboration so teams take ownership of problems and solutions. He advised leaders to "know your why"—a clear purpose that should guide prioritization—and to surround themselves with people who share that purpose.

On risk-taking, Shane said leaders should take "calculated risks" and avoid overextending the organization: "Don't be the Scott team," he said, referring to the expedition example. He finished by urging resilience and continuous improvement: "Never be satisfied with status quo."

Alex closed by reminding listeners that the Grow in Sahuarita program offers no-cost assistance to small-business owners in Sahuarita and nearby communities and provided the episode's contact email as given in the recording (transcript: "growawaritaaz.gov").