Difficult times are a form of truth serum. They force clear priorities. For me, that's meant reaching out nationally to offer a webinar for nonprofit leaders via agencies, associations, and organizations that specifically unite and serve nonprofit causes and their leaders. The webinar, which I offer at no charge, is: "CRISIS ENGAGEMENT: 12 Tasks to Sustain Donors in Turbulent Times." For more information about the webinar: … [Read more...]
Engagement Beyond Mere “Customer Service”
The basics of "customer service" include patience, attentiveness, knowledge, responsiveness, and consistency. So, here's a simply beautiful example of one company's practice that far exceeds those basics - courtesy of a friend who discovered this letter in her hotel room at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC: Hello my name is Lichi & I am your room Stylist (A.K.A. Housekeeper). While you are here in Washington, D.C., I hope you get … [Read more...]
Engagement is Everything
“Perfect moments.” That’s the beautiful insight that David Ira Goldstein, the beloved Artistic Director Emeritus of Arizona Theatre Company shared with me during my tenure as his administrative partner as ATC’s Interim Managing Director. When the story is compelling… when the direction is inspired… when the actors’ delivery is flawless… when the set design is beautiful… when the sound is resonant… when the house is full... when the audience is … [Read more...]
What have you LEARNED from 2017?
No doubt you have worked hard. You have challenged your creativity, stretched every penny, and exhausted every option. Good job! So, in these last two weeks of this year, how about taking a moment to ask yourself: "What have I, and what has our organization, learned from this year? What will we do differently in 2018, as a result." To start the new year on the right foot, here's a little holiday gift you can give yourself right now: … [Read more...]
Assessment, Resilience & Consensus
Happy New (Fiscal) Year to those who celebrate! So, how will you work differently going forward? Here are 3 questions to help you get started: What have you learned from the year just concluded? An exercise: draw a line down the center of a single sheet of paper and headline one column "What Went Wrong" and the other "What Went Right." Start writing and don't stop until you have a total of (at least) 50 items from the season … [Read more...]
NEA Funding: Beyond Votes, We Must Grow the Applause
The President's budget proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts is merely an "opening argument." A very long legislative process now begins which will, hopefully, culminate in a budget that reflects moderation and compromise. Our advocates at Americans for the Arts have long prepared for this day - and it's reassuring to know that the arts have friends on both sides of the political aisle. Of course, nothing is assured until … [Read more...]
Your Mood is Understandable but Unacceptable
I haven't worn a Mood Ring since the late 1970's but it's time for that fad to return. I know, I know... they never really worked all that well. Regardless of how I was feeling inside (and as a teenager, well, you know...) the color remained a murky green. Still, I recall how friends would playfully grab each other's hands and exclaim, "Let's see how you're feeling!" So go ahead and slip an imaginary mood ring on your finger right now. … [Read more...]
On “Artivism” – a conversation with Amy Hunter
I met Amy Hunter in St. Louis in October 2014, less than 3 months after the shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. At the time, she served as Director of Racial Justice for the YWCA of Metro St. Louis. Today, she serves Children’s Hospital in St. Louis Missouri as the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion. The St. Louis Regional Arts Council paired us to lead a frank conversation among leaders of the region’s major arts & cultural … [Read more...]
Resilience: The Spirit of 9/12
On September 12, 2001, the theater was dark, the museum galleries were empty and the phones didn't ring. I was a shared-services marketing director then - with responsibilities to sell subscriptions and single tickets at the dawn of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' new season as well as to launch the new season of the not-quite-2-year-old Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. We remember the fear and uncertainty of 9/11. … [Read more...]
Can you be Optimistic for just 90 Minutes?
How will the world be different in 5 years? That's the question I'll ask leaders of arts & cultural organizations in a series of FutureCast exercises I'll be facilitating around the country starting next month.* When the program was conceived last Spring, its intention felt timely, refreshing, and productive - to study the trajectories of demographics, technology, and the economy (and more!) and imagine the exciting opportunities ahead … [Read more...]