Museums & Productivity

Whether you work in a large or small museum, historic site, science center, aquarium, or any of the other myriad places we represent, we all face the exact same challenge - we have just 24 hours in our day.  And, just a portion of that time are the waking hours we spend as professionals on the job, trying to get everything done.

Thus, we need to make strong choices with the time we have.   As museum professionals we face some unique challenges in getting organized and being more productive:

1. We collect and thus we like to save things;
2. We often share spaces;
3. We may suffer from a lack of resources;
4. We always have a hard time saying 'no'

So what can we do to be more organized & productive?
Here are 3 ideas to get you started:

1. Establish routines.   Adding structure to your schedule provides clarity of purpose.
2. Prioritize.   You can't get to everything.  Choose the essentials.
3. Use a tried and true "To Do" list - You would be surprised how many of us try to keep a running list of what we need to do in our heads.   Don't clog your mind - write it down.

My toolbox is full of these tips and much more...And, after 14 years of working with you to educate the public through programs, curriculum materials, advisory boards, research & evaluation, I am now focusing on educating YOU - museum staff, volunteers, and board members on how to work smarter, better use your time and resources, and overall, how to be more efficient and effective at what you do each day....

Creative Simplicity Organizing & Productivity 
www.csimplicity.com ~ csimplicity@comcast.net

Here's to a productive day!

There's A Big World Out There

We don’t look beyond ourselves and our field enough.   

Recently, while on a conference call with a design firm and several museum professionals, we were reviewing sample layouts for a web based museum activity.    The conversation was strong and though the layout still needed user feedback and a bit more tweaking, our homework had been well done.   We had looked at other web sites for ideas and direction.   But not just museum sites – sites of all types, shapes and varieties – preschools, publishers, zoos, libraries, you name it.    It allowed us to explore a range of options and apply the best practices.   It opened our eyes to the larger world out there.   It helped us to do our jobs well and it made me think – we’ve come a long way.

Several years ago I presented at a workshop where I proposed that museum staff look to several for profit industries for ideas and latest trends in evaluation.   Some of the industries recommended included high tech, entertainment and retail.    Participants were enlightened, if not a bit surprised.     At the lunch break, several commented that they had never done this and it was a practice they needed to consider more often.    

Just a few days ago an event listing passed my desk.   The topic was customer/visitor service and the core message was that they would be ‘looking to other fields’ to inform the content of the event.      You’ve got to do it to stay fresh, stay relevant and apply big ideas.    Sometimes it gets you a bit off track, but as museum professionals, we know how to pull ourselves back, and the journey will have opened our eyes.  

Keeping It Simple

We've all heard of the K.I.S.S. method - keeping it simple is so basic and so straightforward that more often than not, people ignore it.    This is true of museums in many ways.   We are always looking to add more, do more, serve more, reach more and teach more, that sometimes we forget to say 'no!'   We overwhelm ourselves with projects, programs, initiatives, partnerships, collaborations, exhibits, special events and on and on...When was the last time you thought about what it means for your site to 'just keep it simple?'...to focus more on quality, not quantity; to focus on what you do really well, rather than doing it all; on serving a few core audiences rather than everyone?     On a recent project, a colleague remarked how the path we followed to completion was so effective, yet so simple, that she was amazed, yet delighted.  
Even AAM, in its Application Tips from Museums Connect staff, lists 'Keep it Simple' as one of their key suggestions.   "We often prefer projects that are simple, focused and achievable over those that promise more than seems realistic in a one year period.   We recommend that you focus your project on one primary community group (e.g. 25 high school students in each country) and allow others (e.g. teachers, public participants, museum educators) to play clearly defined supporting roles.   Having a smaller group of initial community partners who are involved consistently over the course of the project can also make long-term evaluation and sustainability more practical than trying to work with a cast of ever-changing characters.     That says it all.

A Small Museum with a Big Feel

Murnau is a small town in southern Germany, a town near the picturesque Bavarian Alps.  It wasn't a planned stop on a recent trip to Europe, but a spontaneous visit on a drive to Munich.   It is home to a small museum called the Schlossmuseum Murnau, which we also visited on a whim.   (Schlossmuseum translates to castle museum, named for the castle-like look of the building in which it is located.)  The museum contains internationally and historically significant works of art and literature connected with the urban life of Murnau.   The building itself was renovated in 2012 to allow the museum to display more than just their collection of paintings on glass.  Changing exhibit galleries, a space devoted to the paintings of the Blue Rider group, a small entry and shared museum shop also grace the space.   But what was most noticeable was the number of visitors on a quiet Friday summer afternoon, and, the excitement in the air.   You could just feel it.   Visitors were enthusiastically taking everything in, talking excitedly, and most noticeably, interacting with each other rather than with technology.   No one was taking photos with their cameras, iphones, iPads or other devices, they were just looking, taking it in and seemingly enjoying it.   Admissions and gallery staff were present, friendly and genuine.   There was a European flair to the space and the atmosphere.   It felt alive, comfortable and well suited to its town and surroundings.   You could just feel the sense of community.   It made me wonder when I felt such a 'buzz' in a space in the United States.    Clearly it is something we all strive for, that enthusiastic immersion of all of our visitors and a warm, familiar feeling.    Is that how your museum makes visitors feel?   It might just be time to find out.

Time Tested Evaluation

After attending both a workshop and a webinar on the topic of evaluation within the last two weeks, I am happy to say that evaluation is alive and kicking in the museum world.   It used to be that evaluation scared staff members, and many begrudged even including it in a grant proposal, let alone doing it.   To many it was an intimidating process which is now pretty commonplace, and continually helps to inform us and answer the ‘How Are We Doing?’ questions.    

The level of dialogue about evaluation is more sophisticated – but the core remains the same – the 3 basic questions that guide this work are:

1. What is the purpose of the evaluation?

2. What do I want to know?

3. What do I intend to do with the information?*

Certainly we can collect the information from a never ending variety of sources, but it is what we intend to do with that information that really matters.

With more ways to capture information than ever before, whether it be the age-old person-to-person interview or the latest social media methods, it is all good, and it shows that we are looking & seeing, listening & hearing, and engaged in this ongoing conversation. 

 

*Planning a Program Evaluation, University of Wisconsin

Teens, Tweens...Tours

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive.   Numerous historic sites in Pennsylvania and Virginia in just a few days.   From Amish country to Mount Vernon; from Monticello to Gettysburg.  Tours and more tours.   Tour guides and more tour guides.   Lots of facts, quotes, and information.   Waiting and listening - looking and listening more.   With a teen and a tween in toe, how would we fare?   We had never done so many sites of such significance in such a compact time frame, and, certainly never before as a tween and a teen.  (a.k.a. raging hormones and wise cracking comments!)  You never know what you might get...But, have no fear, my kids were keen observers and patient listeners.   They didn't complain about lines or rain and they were annoyed at the twenty somethings who insisted on talking over the Interpreter.   They asked good questions and perhaps most importantly, had strong and insightful thoughts on the 'good' and the 'not so good' of our touring experiences.   In no particular order, here is what they would like you to know:
1. Don't ask visitors if they have questions and then act annoyed when they do.
2. Don't look at your watch over and over again.
3. Don't make us stand in the rain while you talk, and talk, and ...
4. Use humor, it's human.
5. Relate it to real life but don't force it.    Saying that the yellow paint that Jefferson chose for his dining room was an 'HGTV' choice really didn't work.
6. Don't over quote or you sound like a book not a person.
7. Don't be monotone.
8. Don't feel like you have to say and show everything.
9. If you can, let people explore a little on their own.

Connections Matter

Recently, a colleague was talking about her experiences related to college campus visits with her child, a prospective student.   She was firm in her belief that the tour guides you get make or break the campus visit experience.   How much you like the college or university is totally dependent on the tour guide you get.   Just think about this.    Your experience of that particular school is mediated by this stranger, much the same way museum guides or docents represent your site.    If they don't hit the mark with you, because of their training, their presentation, or their knowledge, or if it's just that their interests and passions are too different than yours, then the tour/experience is diminished.    This is a powerful reminder for any of us.    All of the touches and interactions we have with the public are our opportunities to shine - websites, voice mail greetings, mobile apps, collateral materials, retail stores, Facebook pages, you name it.    But, perhaps the person to person interaction with our guides and docents is the most personal and most direct.   Are these experiences all you want them to be?   Are they consistent with your mission and vision?    It's never too late to review & revise.    The how and when are challenging, but you'll never regret taking the steps in the right direction.