Stabilizing in Times of Change

The January-February 2010 edition of Harvard Business Review has a tidbit by Ries Roowaan, the author of "A Business Case for Business History" (Uitgeverij Boom, 2009) which started me thinking about strategic planning.  The teaser article, "Why Colonel Sanders Has His Own Museum" suggests that:

"...many firms pay homage to old times by preserving items related to their founding and their impact on the world. Companies undergoing deep change are the ones most likely to benefit from highlighting corporate history because it can keep employees focused on the firm's essential principles."

This is the basis for an interactive retreat exercise that I have been using lately to engage diverse stakeholders in open discussion. I invite individuals to share their knowledge of the organization's history and with many of my clients, several that are now in their 35th year of operations, I am finding that they have lost contact with the organization's original purpose and mission. With that disconnection is often a loss of "spark" that keeps the vision alive.

While facilitating this discussion I often literally draw the organizational lifecycle curve and begin to fill in bits of the evolutionary story as they fit along the curve. This creates a shared understanding of the organization's history, as well as creating a common vocabulary for discussing evolution - both at the retreat and throughout the strategic planning process. It also ensures that people know they are being listened to, respected and adding value.

Kweskin Teaching Leadership in the Arts-The Arts Sector

I will be teaching the two-week, on-line seminar Leadership in the Arts-The Arts Sector at California State University East Bay - Hayward. The course begins February 22 and registration closes on February 19. This is a very affordable option for career transitioners, emerging leaders and mid-career managers to work towards a certificate in Arts Administration.

Course Description: An overview of the arts industry and its creative, curatorial and commercial sectors including artists and performers, professional artisans, craftspersons, technicians, managers, audience, entrepreneurs, critics, the general culture & society, law & politics, economics & finance, science, technology, and the environment. The basic principles, concepts, processes and practices relating to organizations in the arts industry dynamic including planning, non profit and commercial organizational structures, leadership, fundraising, artistic programming, arts education, advocacy and marketing, will be discussed. Students will know how to: Identify and research specific discipline related issues. Differentiate between not for profit and for profit entities and projects. Access arts industry networks in the public and private sectors.

Certificate in Arts Management

California State University East Bay Launches California’s first On-line Professional Certificate in Arts Management

Responding to demand for skilled leaders in changing not-for-profit arts sector

The not-for-profit arts field faces an urgent need for trained leaders with management skills, partly the result of a generational change as those who entered the field in the 1970s and 80s are now retiring. As organizational founders leave and the field matures, arts organization managers, board directors and foundations ask where the trained leaders of the future will come from. There are few college undergraduate programs in arts administration, and graduate programs that exist focus mainly on academics and research.

Culture|Futures: an Ecological Age by 2050

Culture|Futures

Play a lead role in expanding
cultural engagement to
sustain human and all life

Launch Symposium & Reception
7th December, 1pm - 7:30pm
National Gallery of Denmark,
Copenhagen

Working seminar
8th, 9th December 2009
People’s Climate Action & HK Hovedstaden,
Copenhagen

Culture|Futures
is an expanding positive spiral of engagement of cultural actors around the world who are moved to engage their work and creativity to sustain human and all life.

The cultural sector has a unique part to play in creating an Ecological Age by 2050. It is trusted, collaborative, interactive and transformative - and it is everywhere in all communities, in rich and diverse shapes and forms.

Cultural actors are people, institutions and enterprises in art, design & architecture, film & media, cultural heritage, sport, education, leisure, communication and many more areas. In diverse and wonderful ways they express identity, communicate and bring their perspectives alive in practice.

Many cultural actors choose to express their perspectives about sustaining human and all life. As they do so, the thinking and behaviours of people and communities are affected and surely, they begin to change.

And as living in a way which sustains human and all life gradually becomes normal, an Ecological Age evolves.

--I will be supporting the social media efforts from across the planet - here in San Francisco - during the convenings.

Starting a Community of Interest

Barry Hessenius has featured the C2Arts Community of Practice on his blog. He's captured the essence of our intentions. Worth a read.

STARTING A "COMMUNITY OF INTEREST"

A small group of northern California nonprofit arts consultants ban together in a "community of interest" to address areas of mutual concern. My experience as one of them has been thoroughly positive.

Are we seeing more of these grassroots communities of interest pop up to fill the void of working in isolation?


Click here to go to BARRY'S BLOG now: www.westaf.org/blog