By Julia and Elena
What do you hear when you walk into work? Is it the phone ringing? Your co-worker in the next office furiously typing away? Or do you hear nothing? Something that I heard spoken 3-5 times in the first ten minutes of my employ at the Folger was the phrase “There has to be a better way”. As an advocate for effective streamlining myself, I began to passively tune into the conversations that were happening around me and, naturally, it got me thinking.
All too often in the arts we are forced into working within processes or ways of thinking that may be old and outdated, over-complicated, or just plain ineffective. What I’ve noticed is that these processes lead to the ever looming problem of stagnation. Stagnation is one of the top five killers of arts organizations (just in my personal opinion) and oftentimes the symptoms of this plague are long overlooked or unnoticeable until it is too late. So how do we detect this silent killer? What is it that we are supposed to notice? Here are just a few of the ways you can begin to detect this in your own workplaces:
I have found that having the freedom to question these processes and revolutionize your own, personal workplace with new ideas is a luxury...and also the sign of a healthy, stable organization. As you’ll read below and as I’ve alluded previously, I have found the magical combination of stability and strategic re-invention (#blessed). This discovery has not come without toil. I myself have worked for ailing organizations that have not allowed me to operate outside of what was pre-determined to be an effective means of completing my job. It’s a struggle. And it’s real.
I’ve worked at a few organizations where I’ve heard, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” And I’ve learned to old ways. But as an emerging arts manager, I’m naturally predispositioned to ask “But is there a better way?” And what really does that question mean - are the old ways of doing things inefficient? Are there programs out there that are not as effective as others? Is a “better way” organizational or personal?
Now, if you’ve read my bio on P&T, you might note that I believe in unicorns. No, I don’t believe in the physical existence of unicorns. But I believe in impossible situations and wonderful people doing magical things. Maybe that’s because I’m in theatre. Maybe because I refuse to give up that miraculous part of my childhood where anyone can be anything because playing make-believe is real. But what that means for me in my daily work-life is that thinking outside the box becomes the norm.
When Elena first told me that her co-workers told themselves daily “there has to be a better way” that, to me, was a unicorn. Here you have a staff who is willing to look at their practices and be responsive to current trends and their capabilities. UNICORN! Magic will happen!
But sometimes, an organization isn’t willing to reinvent or to be the unicorn. Staff members become complacent and practices become outdated. “But this is the way we’ve always done it” should be a bumper sticker sold in the organization’s gift shop. But what I’ve found that combats this is an innovative leader, or, someone who is willing to lead the charge against stagnation. I’m really lucky at my current job to have a few supervisors who don’t let the old way of things be the only way. When I started in this position, I had to ask some really hard questions about the current method of doing things and the message that I was sending out by not evolving. By approaching each “old way” with fresh eyes, I was able to find a few inefficiencies and attempt to correct them - all with the support of my supervisors. Avoiding stagnation really starts with communication.
I’m sure this is a concept that both Julia and myself will explore together and independently as we continue to muse on this blog (and by no means is the list above the only indicators of stagnation), so I will keep the following brief. Never feel like you are alone. Chances are if you’re feeling the symptoms, your co-workers will be too. Work together, open lines of communication, and engage with one another and others in field about how to keep yourself moving forward without your head imploding.
All too often in the arts we are forced into working within processes or ways of thinking that may be old and outdated, over-complicated, or just plain ineffective. What I’ve noticed is that these processes lead to the ever looming problem of stagnation. Stagnation is one of the top five killers of arts organizations (just in my personal opinion) and oftentimes the symptoms of this plague are long overlooked or unnoticeable until it is too late. So how do we detect this silent killer? What is it that we are supposed to notice? Here are just a few of the ways you can begin to detect this in your own workplaces:
- Drops and/or Decreases in Funding: A drop in contributed income could mean that your outreach methods, donor portfolio, or programming have reached a plateau. This could also mean that your “excitement factor” is waning and people are waiting, or asking in an unconscious way, to be re-engaged with your organization in a more meaningful way. I’m going to butt in here… Because this is the perfect time for re-evaluation. If your funding is just sort of sitting there doing nothing -- why? Have you talked to your community members? Have you looked at what programs are your most efficient (or least effective)? It’s hard to do when you’re so invested in the way you’ve been progressing as an organization, but constant re-evaluation is key here. Oh, and conversation… just talk to the people giving you money. (AMEN!!!)
- Redundant Reporting/Misuse of Data: Pulling the same report 50 ways to Sunday or working from unclear data can be a huge indicator of stagnation, particularly among older organizations. Most of them are taking the first big steps through the doorway of this thing we’re in called a technological era and have all of the big fancy databases with no know-how about how to use them effectively. (Not all Data is good Data… Didn’t Data have an evil twin in Star Trek? See… not always good Data. The good Data is helpful, the evil twin Data just makes you spin your wheels and nothing gets done.) Dedicating yourself to having a keen understanding of who you are trying to reach and what specific data defines your parameters best can bring about a natural revival of an institution's image.
- Lack of OR Decreasing Attention to a Strategic Plan: An organization with no goals can hardly be called an organization, especially goals that are meant to ensure long-term institutional sustainability and success. What I love about Strategic Planning is that it gives everyone a buy-in. If the process is done in a productive way, you know your weaknesses, strengths, and what your community feels. Just knowing these things and keeping them filed away as you go about your daily business will lead you to ask “Wait, didn’t the key stakeholders in my community say ____? What if I just tweak this little process right here to make it fit that vision.”
- The Rinse Cycle: Feel like you are stuck in an endless circle of the same tasks over and over? Ugh, yes, the dreaded “This is the way we’ve always done it”. Do you feel like someone hits the reset button on your job every year? Every week? Every day? (I’ve worked at an organization that said “once you understand the rhythm of our business, you’ll adjust to what we’re doing” … is that a good thing? What about my rhythm and strengths - do those belong here?) What you are most likely experiencing by way of repetition is stagnation in the internal workflow of an office. This can indicate a lack of creative thinking in your own position or a lack of development in the overall task-to-program flow of the organization. As Julia suggested above, take some time to make your own “strategic plan” of sorts and identify ways in which you can begin to evolve the way you work for your organization.
I have found that having the freedom to question these processes and revolutionize your own, personal workplace with new ideas is a luxury...and also the sign of a healthy, stable organization. As you’ll read below and as I’ve alluded previously, I have found the magical combination of stability and strategic re-invention (#blessed). This discovery has not come without toil. I myself have worked for ailing organizations that have not allowed me to operate outside of what was pre-determined to be an effective means of completing my job. It’s a struggle. And it’s real.
I’ve worked at a few organizations where I’ve heard, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” And I’ve learned to old ways. But as an emerging arts manager, I’m naturally predispositioned to ask “But is there a better way?” And what really does that question mean - are the old ways of doing things inefficient? Are there programs out there that are not as effective as others? Is a “better way” organizational or personal?
Now, if you’ve read my bio on P&T, you might note that I believe in unicorns. No, I don’t believe in the physical existence of unicorns. But I believe in impossible situations and wonderful people doing magical things. Maybe that’s because I’m in theatre. Maybe because I refuse to give up that miraculous part of my childhood where anyone can be anything because playing make-believe is real. But what that means for me in my daily work-life is that thinking outside the box becomes the norm.
When Elena first told me that her co-workers told themselves daily “there has to be a better way” that, to me, was a unicorn. Here you have a staff who is willing to look at their practices and be responsive to current trends and their capabilities. UNICORN! Magic will happen!
But sometimes, an organization isn’t willing to reinvent or to be the unicorn. Staff members become complacent and practices become outdated. “But this is the way we’ve always done it” should be a bumper sticker sold in the organization’s gift shop. But what I’ve found that combats this is an innovative leader, or, someone who is willing to lead the charge against stagnation. I’m really lucky at my current job to have a few supervisors who don’t let the old way of things be the only way. When I started in this position, I had to ask some really hard questions about the current method of doing things and the message that I was sending out by not evolving. By approaching each “old way” with fresh eyes, I was able to find a few inefficiencies and attempt to correct them - all with the support of my supervisors. Avoiding stagnation really starts with communication.
I’m sure this is a concept that both Julia and myself will explore together and independently as we continue to muse on this blog (and by no means is the list above the only indicators of stagnation), so I will keep the following brief. Never feel like you are alone. Chances are if you’re feeling the symptoms, your co-workers will be too. Work together, open lines of communication, and engage with one another and others in field about how to keep yourself moving forward without your head imploding.