A very interesting piece in The Art Newspaper by the Director of Tate Modern. He talks about the changing reality for museums and presents a case for the future of the Tate. “For Tate to have a sustainable future, we will need to stretch the principles of collaboration and exchange. Collaborations will require that we abandon some notions of institutional demarcation or sole authorship, and replace them with public access, integration, and the widest possible engagement with academics, artists and specialists elsewhere.” Why Tate … [Read more...]
Happiness Around the World: The paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires
A friend in the banking world recently gave me this book, and as we consider why the arts are so essential to healthy societies it makes for interesting reading. Oxford University Press: Happiness Around the World: Carol Graham. … [Read more...]
Nonprofit Reserves Workgroup – NCCS Wiki
A great resource for board members and staff members to test knowledge and learn more about operating (sometimes called cash) reserves. Nonprofit Reserves Workgroup - NCCS Wiki. … [Read more...]
Barry’s Blog: OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS OUTDATED AND HARMING US
A thought provoking article on business structure. Barry's Blog: OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS OUTDATED AND HARMING US. … [Read more...]
Leaders in co-creation? Why and how museums could develop their co-creative practice with the public
This paper explores increasing co-creation in museums as a means to creating better, more relevant and innovative programming and exhibits. Using performing arts examples and business literature, Govier argues that collaborative development and co-creation should be pursued with more in mind than audience development/engagement or educational programming and outreach. While the research focuses on the application of these concepts for museums, the ideas are relevant to all arts and culture organizations. Found via Nina Simon's summary … [Read more...]
A new way to measure word-of-mouth marketing – McKinsey Quarterly – Marketing – Strategy
Assessing its impact as well as its volume will help organizations take better advantage of 'buzz.' A new way to measure word-of-mouth marketing - McKinsey Quarterly - Marketing - Strategy. … [Read more...]
Motivated Multitasking: How the Brain Keeps Tabs on Two Tasks at Once: Scientific American
For those convinced they are adept multi-taskers, a slim line of defense against the prevailing wisdom that it can't be done. Motivated Multitasking: How the Brain Keeps Tabs on Two Tasks at Once: Scientific American. … [Read more...]
How Cultural Groups Can Use Social-Media – Social Good – The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
This podcast features Nina K. Simon, author of The Participatory Museum, and Rob Stein, Chief Information Officer at the Indianapolis Museum of Art discussing how cultural organizations can use social media and social-media-type interactions (such as building a community of interest) to build more robust experiences and relationships. They also explore some of the risks and pitfalls of building inconsistent experiences across these different mediums. How Cultural Groups Can Use Social-Media - Social Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- … [Read more...]
Disrupting Philanthropy 2.0
An overview of how technology is being used in philanthropy. The foundation activities are pretty well known. However, there are good examples of where experimentation is happening, and interesting activities happening outside established institutions. The effect of technology on philanthropy comes across as marginal today, but the tech trends & experiments point to what we can expect in 3-5 years, when the experiments become mainstream and the underlying tech is mature and "dull." Disrupting Philanthropy 2.0. … [Read more...]
Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut? – McKinsey Quarterly – Strategy – Strategic Thinking
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and psychologist Gary Klein debate the power and perils of intuition. An interesting analysis of the role of intuition in decision-making. We often hear people argue that in the end, they 'go with their gut.' Or by contrast, they're 'driven by data.' Is intuition more reliable under certain conditions? Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut? - McKinsey Quarterly - Strategy - Strategic Thinking. … [Read more...]
Monitor: The net generation, unplugged | The Economist
An interesting article challenging the oft-received wisdom that millenials/gen y need to learn in a fundamentally different manner than their predecessors: "...there may be 'as much variation within the digital native generation as between the generations.' ” Monitor: The net generation, unplugged | The Economist. … [Read more...]
YouTube – Engineering Design – The Kano Diagram
This is a quick video outlining the relationship between customer satisfaction and product design. As a designer/facilitator of programs, I have found the Kano Diagram useful when thinking through what features matter most to a constituency and, in turn, establishing a priority for my time and a guide for others in the development and running of programs and services. The process can be useful as part of an evaluative framework applied to programs that have been running for a while -- are they still relevant to the field and are we still … [Read more...]
Column: Why Businesses Don’t Experiment – Harvard Business Review
A great column that talks about the common organizational bias toward answers rather than questions... even though asking the right questions will ultimately lead to the best answers. Column: Why Businesses Don't Experiment - Harvard Business Review. … [Read more...]
The case for behavioral strategy – McKinsey Quarterly – Strategy – Strategic Thinking
This is a really interesting interactive feature on the cognitive biases that most impact decision-making in organizations. By analyzing the top 5 biases listed and their components, leaders will be able to recognize these issues in their own organizations and develop processes to address them. The case for behavioral strategy - McKinsey Quarterly - Strategy - Strategic Thinking. … [Read more...]
Start With Why, Simon Sinek
I recently heard Simon speak at a Dance NYC conference, and his book is as good a review of the importance of mission (although that's not what it is about) as any I have ever read. You can watch him on TEDx and get a taste of his thinking. Start With Why, Simon Sinek. … [Read more...]