Are you reading more and enjoying it less these days? Are you reading less and enjoying it more? For me, it could be one or the other depending on the day. Often, it is both. Consequently, I am selective with my reading which involves trying to figure out what that means.
On the one hand, given the tumultuous times we are going through, we can’t retreat and avoid facing the challenging realities surrounding the museum field and its future. On the other hand, we are trying to see into a future that can’t be seen. Nevertheless I navigate this territory by thinking how do we make sense out of where we are, think about how to move forward in a meaningful way and, at the same time, make room for what we don’t know might happen?
Consequently, I scan the articles, blogs, on-line journals, and videos looking for ones by thinkers and writers interested in the big picture, bold questions, and new opportunities that will create movement and change—and hope. I've dubbed this intriguing terrain between planning and chance. And since what we are facing is so enormous, I think about it as three questions.
§ What do we understand about our current situation and the dynamic context of our community in the pandemic and post-pandemic world?
§ What matters long-term to our organization and community that must be valued, preserved, and protected?
§ What’s possible? What new opportunities do we want to be poised for?
These questions are intentionally big and roomy and demand courage to address them honestly. They insist on people from across a museum engaging, listening, thinking together, building on one another’s ideas, and assuming a shared good-faith interest in the museum’s future. While set out as if in sequence, these questions do not follow a linear, step-by-step sequence. Instead they are more like a large spiraling conversation that is carried out in the tentative tense, reflecting uncertainties, helpfully expressed as would, could, let’s, maybe, perhaps, what if?
Each question generates more questions that prompt thinking, listening, and reframing. They are enriched by varied perspectives within and beyond the museum. They connect to resources, create openings for more thinking, and support change.
#1 What do we understand?
This question is about developing a current, realistic picture of the museum, its strengths and challenges, the community it serves, and the context in which it operates. The challenge of addressing this question is to be honest and realistic, to be neither too granular nor too self-congratulatory. For developing a shared understanding, these sets of questions and relevant resources might be helpful.
§ What resources are we working with? Consider people, skills, knowledge, leadership organizational culture; visitors; relationships, community position, and reputation; public space—indoors and out— and facility management; and time–immediate and long term.
§ What new limitations are we facing with our resources, business model, staff, audience, safety?
§ How can we understand and view more of our resources as assets?
§ What possible trends could impact the museum: financial, health, employment, local educational?
§ What accomplishments do we have—areas where we have a solid, impressive track record—that we can build on and leverage?
§ What don’t we understand that we really need to? What additional information do we need; how and where will we get it?
§ What are we learning that we can share with others internally, with partners, across the community, and in the field?
Resources that might be relevant and interesting:
§ AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums by Elizabeth Merritt
§ Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity by Susan Kenny Stevens
§ Managing in Times of Transition on Paul Orselli’s Museum FAQ YouTube interview with Christian Greer
§ Quantifying Our Museum’s Social Impact: How the Oakland Museum of California is using data science to measure impact by Johanna Jones
#2 What Matters?
This question calls us to think about what matters in the long-term to the organization and community that must be valued, preserved, and protected. In exploring this question, the challenge is to be clear about the museum’s enduring purpose and deep values without being limited by cherished beliefs. To develop a shared understanding around what matters, the museum can explore these sets of questions and relevant resources.
§ What is fundamental to who we are, based on our vision, mission, and values and audience?
§ What are our community’s assets, needs, and priorities that engage with our purpose?
§ How can we frame what we want to be as we move past the pandemic preserving what is essential? Is it, for example, to survive and re-open; rebound; be more human-centered; occupy a larger position on the local learning landscape; be part of the regional well-being infrastructure; or become a smaller, more nimble museum?
§ What high potential future do we want for our museum and community?
§ In what new ways can the museum matter, or matter more, to its visitors, partners, and community? What must we preserve for that to happen?
§ What might be a game changer for the museum, something that would affect what matters?
§ What are we learning that we can share with others internally, with partners, across the community, and the field?
Resources for thinking about what matters.
§ Templates for Change on Ann Ackerson’s Take 5
§ Where to Now, Museums? on Ed Rodley’s Thinking about Museums
§ Running Museums as Businesses: An Interview with Gary Hoover on Paul Orselli’s ExhibiTricks blog
§ Challenge Your Thinking, Change Your Museum on Museum Notes
#3 What’s Possible?
This question is about developing a shared understanding around the kind of new opportunities for which the museum wants to be poised. Preparation and the nature of chance itself drives the challenges for addressing this question. They involve expanding a view of what is possible without losing sight of what’s essential. The following sets of questions and relevant resources are intended to help in thinking together about possible futures for the museum.
§ Where might new or unexpected opportunities emerge? Given how we’ve framed what matters, what areas of possibility or opportunity have the greatest potential to move us forward?
§ How can we re-imagine the ways in which our assets–our track record, capacities, relationships–could link together and respond to these opportunities?
§ Of the possibilities that energize individuals and the museum collectively, how can we build consent around those most promising to our future?
§ Thinking about these opportunities, what do they allow us to accomplish that we couldn’t otherwise accomplish that works towards a greater good?
§ Are they very likely, somewhat likely or very unlikely to occur? Are they temporary or long-term change? Who will be affected by the actions we take?
§ What do we understand about these possibilities and what they require of us? How can we use available time to grow needed capacity and the conditions for success? How can we be alert, selective, and nimble in responding to unanticipated change and opportunities?
§ What are we learning that we can share with others internally, with partners, across the community, and in the field?
Resources to inspire thinking about possibilities include:
§ Our Story by Amanda Schochtet on Micro
§ Calling All Phoenixes on Nina Simon’s Medium
§ Creating a Better World Means Asking Better Questions by Hildy Gottlieb in Stanford Social Innovation Review
§ The Power of Being an Experiment on Creating the Future
Good luck on the road ahead!
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