The lesson from Megan's post might be that "predicting" is the first step in
energizing an organization.

Offering to act, to go out and find support for the program now being cut
out (with her job) would test the willingness of the organization to
delegate so the job can get done.  Perhaps the process of finding support
(i.e., gifts ,grants, etc.) was tightly controlled by a development staff.

Generalizing to be sure, many museum professionals (curators, educators,
conservators, etc.) are good at finding gifts so long as they keep in close
touch with the paid fundraisers.  Others think the development staff can go
it alone.

Ross Weeks Jr.
Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park
Tazewell, Va.

>
> And that's why I think it's not just a matter of everybody
> speaking up individually and showing their leadership; I predicted a year
or
> two ago that if support wasn't actively sought for my program, it would be
a
> casualty when the economy turned.  In our case, this was not taken
seriously
> until it was too late.
>
> Megan Balderston
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ross Weeks [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 9:58 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Mistrust (was re: Shedd slashing its staff)
>
>
> Experience, if nothing else, teaches a skilled leader/manager to delegate
> responsibility as well as authority to get the job done.  Museums are
> complex organizations with such a variety of operational requirements that
> may adapt from time to time to deal with external circumstances.  Among
> these circumstances are funding sources, visitor markets, new
technologies.
>
> What is often lacking is experienced museum staff that will (or can)
accept
> that kind of delegation.  Rather, as museums are led into strategic
planning
> and as objectives change, museum professionals in larger institutions may
> tend toward protecting turf.  Decisions get delegated upward, especially
in
> an atmosphere of change.
>
> In other cases, a CEO inherits an organization that is encrusted with
> attitudes and procedures that no longer mean anything, or just don't work
at
> all.  Those who clasp dearly those fossils of long ago are among the most
> difficult professionals to deal with.  I've been there, done that.
> Delegation is impossible in those cases.
>
> Advice:  Try to persuade these CEOs to delegate and see how well it works.
> If they don't already know how, it's a learning process for them.  In
> advance of new leadership coming in (and it will actually "come in" from
the
> outside in struggling museums), learn to be responsible and accountable
and
> have a take-charge attitude within one's specialized field.
>
> Ross Weeks Jr.
> Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park
> Tazewell, Va.
> http://histcrab.netscope.net
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chuck Stout" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 4:25 PM
> Subject: Re: Mistrust (was re: Shedd slashing its staff)
>
>
> > I'm with Pam on this one.
> >
> > I've been working with a museum that has
> > virtually all power concentrated into two or three positions at the top.
> > The individuals in these positions are very skilled and knowledgable IN
> > THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS, but none of them has any experience with museum
> > practices, let alone museum management. (Nor do they have any background
> in
> > the subject areas of the museum.)
> >
> > To their credit, these people are invested in the success of the museum,
> > and I believe they do their very best. On the other hand, they seem to
> feel
> > that no special skills or knowledge are really needed, and are quite
> > content to fly by the seats of their pants. I maintain that running a
> > museum isn't like operating a lemonade stand, and that these people
should
> > answer to someone with solid museum experience. At the very least, a
> museum
> > professional should be part of the leadership. (Isn't that somewhere in
> the
> > AAM accreditation guidelines? About line 3 or 4?)
> >
> > The situation at this museum has led to many actions that run contrary
to
> > the most basic museum practices and codes of ethics, as well as
decisions
> > that could lead to major problems in the future.
> >
> > While I agree that top management doesn't need to know how to unclog
> > toilets or classify fossils or stabilize artifacts or write good labels
or
> > design a safe interactive, they should understand enough to recognize
the
> > need for people with expert knowledge, and give those people the support
> to
> > do their jobs effectively.
> >
> > It seems my experience isn't uncommon in the museum world, and
situations
> > like this (along with some plain old disagreement on priorities) must
> > account for a great deal of mistrust.
> >
> > Just my opinion.
> >
> > Chuck Stout
> >
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