I've been watching this discussion with interest, and felt compelled to
answer.  I hate to generalize about any of these things, but I'm also in an
organization that has had to make some severe cuts.

To merely assume that one can effect change by "learning to be responsible
and accountable" is too simplistic.  What happens all too often in a lay-off
situation is that decisions are made by the directors/leaders, sometimes
without a clear view of how those situations are going to impact across the
boards.  I'm not saying this is the case with Shedd, but like Shedd the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra expanded at a breakneck speed over the past five
years.  Now that we are facing financial difficulties, layoffs and cut-backs
are being made.  Frankly, I have not had the experience of having someone
who is not conversant to my field making the decisions, but regardless some
of the "efficiencies" being made are going to be anything but efficient when
push comes to shove.  And some will work out just fine.

I'm being laid off in 10 days.  As the Director of a small interactive
center/museum/exhibit/field trip destination at the CSO, I can understand
some of the logic here.  It's a sexy cut, looks like it's going to save much
more than it will, and I might have made the same decision for this program
which has, since its inception, had less than 100% support.  However, I do
question the wisdom of continually going to Education and special programs
to save money when we are all trying to build audiences.  And I think this
is the crux of any criticism I might make of the cuts at Shedd (in the words
of Steve Martin, criticizing things I don't know about, LOL) - that
education is vitally important to the overall long-term health of an
institution.  But the dolphins need to be fed, and in our case, our
Orchestra needs to be presented, and those are the immediate concerns.

I am struggling when trying to categorize the Shedd Aquarium's decision,
because a 16% staff cut, regardless of where it comes from, seems excessive
and begs the question of why this wasn't foreseen.  That perspective comes
directly from my experience here, because it has felt like our planning
process was sorely lacking, since we were literally broadsided with what
will be massive cuts in planned programs by the time we're done.  Is that
the fault of the senior management?  The Trustees?  Or is it just one of
those things?  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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