The drive toward professionally operated museums has been underway for quite a while and all the while faced the road blocks of those with little understanding of the why of it.  The "P" word goes in fits and starts and runs into road blocks from people who want to "sell out" rather than "sell" the service, from boards who decide that someone who doesn't know museums but knows business is what they need. As long as we as individuals or a group are afraid of what professional certification might entail (and don't many of us become threatened by the potential jury of our peers?), as long as museums excuse themselves from accreditation standards because it is too much work or might demand that they quit sloppy practices, we will continue to struggle with this issue.

Those of you enamored of the corporate world are in for some serious heartbreak.  Someone referenced that the corporate world did it successfully. Just what is the corporate world so good at?  My colleagues might remember two recent news items: Enron & Martha Stewart. Additionally, according to the Small Business Administration, only 50% of small businesses survive 4 years.  Remember that the next time someone starts praising the business model for operation.

We need to do the best we can to advocate for professional practices, educate our boards and our public to the best that we can and look seriously at when we personally cut our losses and leave the sinking ship rather than drown trying to keep it afloat.  It's true that outside disciplines can bring another view to the table - but that's only done successfully when they keep their eyes, ears and minds open to learning about that table's etiquette. That's how one avoids "ignorant mistakes." 

Knuckle-heads are not restricted to any one field. Ours has creative open-minded folks as well as the knuckle-heads. 

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