Do nonprofit cultural organizations have a particular responsibility to reach into and represent all parts of the community? Does the benefit of nonprofit status require us to take more risks than commercial theatre? A recent article explores the Minneapolis community’s reaction to the lack of diversity in a local theatre’s upcoming season. While this piece focuses on the choices of one artistic director, other leaders in the field have also argued that not all organizations should feel obligated to be diverse. On the other hand, leadership … [Read more...]
Is Opera a Sustainable Art Form?
In a recent post on her blog, Jumper, Diane Ragsdale shares an excerpt from her keynote address on the topic, "Is Opera a Sustainable Art Form?" from the Opera Europa conference in February. Referencing Alexey A. Voinov's Paradoxes of Sustainability, Ragsdale eloquently asks us to consider where our motivations lie and what we are truly trying to save when we preach of a need for sustainability: "Forest fires naturally occur and burn down portions of ecosystems so that the forest ecosystem as a whole can persist. If we begin to prevent forest … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Predict What Consumers Want Before They Know It
This brief article from Scott Anthony, of Innosight and the author of The Little Black Book Of Innovation: How It Works, How to Do It, looks at consumer needs and innovation opportunities. Also mentioned in the article is The Innovator’s Solution by Clayton M. Christensen and Michael Raynor. Along with The Innovator's Dilemma by Christensen and Creative People Must Be Stopped by David A. Owens, these are wonderful books to have read and on your innovation reference shelf. 3 Ways To Predict What Consumers Want Before They Know It » … [Read more...]
The human factor in service design
“The human factor in service design” discusses the importance of understanding what truly motivates your customers as a way to more efficiently and effectively design and deliver services. By identifying which aspects of service the customer does and does not value, companies can make better decisions about how to use existing resources to deliver in key service areas. The McKinsey team introduces three key questions to consider when designing or changing current services and delivery methods: How human is our service?, How economic is our … [Read more...]
A conversation on TED.com: With the advent of amazing online videos, why are we still so compelled to experience live performance?
We've all heard about the TED videos, but there's also a section of the TED site dedicated to conversations about issues. I found this one particularly interesting for arts and culture leaders. The comments touch on what is "online" and what is "live," the importance of context and the gulf that sometimes exists between artists and audience. What do you think? Why are audiences compelled to experience live performances? What is a "live" performance? A conversation on TED.com: With the advent of amazing online videos, why are we still so … [Read more...]
Building a New American Theater of the Commons
In "Building a New American Theater of the Commons," Polly Carl and Vijay Matthew of The American Voices New Play Institute discuss the need to approach theater as a "We" rather than a "Me." They cite the ideas behind the regional theater movement of the 1960s: "...that cultural institutions like theaters, museums, and symphonies are a value proposition and compose the life-blood of any city along with libraries, schools, hospitals and public works. It was born out of the same collaborative impulse that is required in making a great play—a … [Read more...]
Innovation strategy: The Innovator’s Manifesto
Innovation is the hot topic in many arenas: politics, economics, business and not the least, our own cultural field. Financial Times writer Philip Delves Broughton (former and now part-time journalist, fiction writer and somewhat regretful Harvard MBA) reviews Michael Raynor's The Innovator’s Manifesto. The author notes leading thinking on innovation has cleaved (emphasis mine): On one side are those who embrace the ideas of collaborative consumption and fast failure, who argue that innovators need to experiment with their potential … [Read more...]
Creativity! Innovation! Right Brain! I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? Or, why we desire but reject creative ideas.
The gents at Freakonomics point to a fascinating study - and paradox: The irony is that as a society, we’re constantly talking about how much we value creativity. And yet, the study implies that our minds are biased against it because of the very nature of its novelty. Going forward, perhaps it’s not that we need to get better at producing creative ideas, but at learning how to accept them. Freakonomics » Why We Desire But Reject Creative Ideas The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas. (original study) … [Read more...]
St. Stevens Day, or, How Steve Jobs Solved the Innovator’s Dilemma
At the risk of piling on the beatification bandwagon, an interesting post from the good folks at Harvard Business Review. The author argues that Jobs solved (Clayton Christensen’s) Innovator's Dilemma upon returning from the wilderness, citing the radical changes he made at Apple. You know the ending: the case of Jobs and Apple is an excellent illustration of the difficulty, rarity and reward of “solving the dilemma.” I was equally struck, however, by some of the language employed. He notes (emphasis mine): Apple talks a lot about its … [Read more...]
Bon Jovi and the Pay-What-You-Can Experiment
We recently announced a new pricing model for Business of Arts and Culture seminars in which we will ask organizations to name their own tuition. We decided to embark on an experiment with this model after soliciting input from organizations we serve and quite a bit of investigation into how this model is performing – in the cultural sector and in the greater business world. Just after we announced our pricing experiment, I came across a very interesting new example of the pay-what-you-can experiment: Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, … [Read more...]
Avoiding Messy Breakups: Merger Lessons for Charities
Avoiding Messy Breakups: Merger Lessons for Charities - Ideas & Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas. In tough economic times, more and more nonprofits consider mergers. This can be a good move for organizations sliding into the red, such as Virginia Ballet Theatre mentioned in the article. However, the author points out that losses are often incurred when organizations merge. Some smart thinking here on the benefits and risks of entering into a union of two organizations. … [Read more...]
Don’t throw that home run ball back!
A bit of a longer leap than usual, but stick with me for a moment. Baseball fans have taken to throwing back home runs hit by the opposing team, a practice this author decries as "the worst tradition in baseball." This article on the trend made me think about one of the challenges we face every day in arts and culture. The author is speaking as an expert, as a connoisseur of baseball. For him, you should keep the home run ball hit by your opponent because, in the bigger picture, it is a great souvenir. If you love baseball, you know the … [Read more...]
Of mental models and doorknobs
In a rapidly changing environment, examining and recognizing our mental models is essential if we are to shape organizations that have the resilience to adapt to change.This article from Andrew Taylor is an excellent quick read about how prevalent those models may be, even if we are not aware of them. Of mental models and doorknobs - The Artful Manager. … [Read more...]
Finding Your Funding Model
In a follow up to their 2009 article 'Ten Nonprofit Funding Models,' Peter Kim, Gail Perreault and William Foster of the Bridgespan Group argue organizations often have a clearer vision of what their programs will be in five years than of the funding that will support them. They offer a road map for leaders seeking to develop appropriate funding models for their organizations: Getting a deep understanding of one’s own fundraising approach and history, learning from peers, tallying the likely costs of change and weighing them against expected … [Read more...]
The Innovator’s DNA, or More Disruption
From Clay Christensen and friends, of Innovator's Dilemma fame. In a new book, Christensen and coauthors Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen investigate what characterizes innovative individuals and how these traits transfer to the organization. Five habits of mind...characterise disruptive innovators: associating, questioning, observing, networking and experimenting. Innovators excel at connecting seemingly unconnected things...companies that have the highest “innovation premiums”...display the same five habits of mind as individual innovators. … [Read more...]