Defining Communication

Communication is different today than yesterday, different from last week, last month, last year, and drastically different from five or even ten years ago.   Social media clearly makes the concept clear in showing us that there is more than one way of knowing about something and clearly more than one way of communicating it.
As I work with museums large and small to strengthen educational programs and offerings or assist museums in being stronger and more relevant members of their communities, I stress the importance of communication.  But I've noticed that this can be confusing for staff and board alike, especially those places with various generations represented.   Everyone is working on getting the museum message out, but often there is little or no direct communication with one another.    By communication I mean 'talking' or 'meeting' face to face.   We have so many communication tools available to us we are drowning under their weight.  Office mates are learning about each other's comings and goings on Twitter & Facebook...we are all busy and we are all trying to keep up with the latest way to reach our audiences, but we can't forget the power of being 'on the same page' as our colleagues - having coffee, having lunch, sitting down for a few minutes of face to face conversation  - you will be reminded of the importance of body language, ideas and real human contact - try it!

Spring Means Field Trips

It's spring and that means field trips.  So here is a bit of feedback from a 6th grader from a recent field trip to a large Boston area museum:
"Why can't they do something different?  The tour guide started off telling us everything we couldn't do in the museum, so most of us wanted to leave after hearing 'no, no, no...' The lady talked the whole time, but didn't ask us any questions.  The galleries were SO crowded with other kids from other schools that we couldn't even hear or see that well.   The best part of the day was when our teacher told us about the largest ancient statue to arrive at the museum and how they had to remove the skylights in the roof to lower the statue into the gallery...now that was cool!"
What a missed opportunity.   Don't get me wrong, there are many, many cultural sites with innovative school tours and programs that get high marks for content, learning, and presentation.  Clearly this isn't one of them.   So, if this is what your site is offering to school groups - the standard docent led talking tour for students - think about inviting some 6th graders to give you feedback and ideas.  I know there are lots of kids out there who would be happy to do so - and, they would think it was cool!

New Year - New You

The start of the new year is a great time to take inventory of your program offerings and really think about what is working for your site and your visitors.   Before you just plow ahead with business as usual, set aside some time to review the feedback you received from evaluations conducted over the past year, and, to accompany this, make a simple 4-square grid and do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities) analysis of your programs and offerings.   What works?   What doesn't?  Why?  Perhaps it is time to put some programs to rest and try some new ideas, or, perhaps you can leverage an existing program and tweak it slightly for a different audience.   Use these tools and this data to inform your planning for the coming year.   You might just surprise yourself, as it is always wise to look back as you look ahead - we just don't always make the time to do so.

Be the Visitor

At Back to School night for middle school, each of the teachers took time to introduce themselves and share some stories about their families, including their children.  They personalized their presentations, allowing the parents in attendance to see that as teachers they were not ony professionals, but well-rounded educators.   They are good at what they do for a variety of reasons, but largely because they have empathy.   As parents themselves, they relate to the moms and dads, and, as parents who deal with their own kids on a daily basis, they get it.   Which made me think of museum staff and their empathy for visitors.  How often do we really put ourselves out there in the shoes of our visitors?  Certainly this isn't a new or cutting edge topic, but it's one we need to be consistently reminded of.  In fact, recently a client mentioned that she hadn't been to another museum in over a year because she was just too busy at her own museum.   Unfortunately, I hear that alot.   And it makes me pause.   We need to make the time.  It's refreshing, it's enlightening and it's important  So, get out there and visit other venues, and don't forget to visit your own site, taking time in your own public spaces, testing your amenities, your programs, your directional signage.   I promise, you will always learn something new.

Everyone Needs a Break!

Sending kids to overnight camp is a great experience for kids and parents alike.   Though hard to say the 'goodbyes,' the break is beneficial for everyone.   Kids gain independence, self-reliance, and freedom.  Parents gain perspective, peace of mind, and a little quiet.  Everyone experiences a little down time from the usual busy routine.   So, you ask, what does this have to do with the museum world?   The answer:  Everything.   As a consultant, I am constantly hearing how 'tired,' 'burnt out,' 'busy,' 'overwhelmed,' and 'overworked' museum staff are feeling.   "We can't do one more thing...there aren't enough hours in a day..."   Many haven't used allotted vacation or personal time because you say there is too much to do.   Really?   The more I encounter this the more I can tell you it's not true.   Everyone needs a break.  Not just a day here or there, but a real break.  From your work, your colleagues, your museum, and from your to do list.   Schedule your vacation time and take it.  Everyone will benefit.

Motivation is an Essential Part of Training

There is little benefit in training if your clients fail to successfully apply the ideas you present.   You must be a motivator as well an instructor or coach.

Recently, while training a group of visitor service staff members at a museum, we spent time focusing on their past experiences with evaluation.   Each of them was about to begin conducting intercept interviews of visitors and they needed to feel comfortable.   So, I gave each of them an opportunity to highlight their past, focusing on any experience they had with evaluation.   Though their examples were sometimes tangential at best:  working with a Social Psychology professor tallying survey results,; completing course evaluations; conducting pre school student assessments; completing retail and restaurant comment cards, they came to realize they could do this.   If they embraced the process it would be a notch in their professional development belt.    What were we doing?  Digging into their past to inform the present.   Involving them wholeheartedly to make them part of the process, inserting their energy & life experience...Motivating them by letting them realize that evaluation is not scary, but empowering.   Though it has to be based on goals and objectives, it doesn't have to be intimidating, theoretical, or forced.   It is practical, useful, common sense, and yes, sometimes even fun!

Remembering to LOOK!

On a recent visit to New York City, I was reminded of how much of a melting pot it is.   I was also reminded of what an incredibly diverse audience its museums attract.   In just a few days of museum visits, the variety of languages I overheard was astounding.   At MoMA, information about your visit was available into no fewer than 7 languages.   At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can plan your visit on their web site in 52, yes, 52 different languages, from Belarusian to Welsh, from Finnish to Polish...what an amazing array of people these museums serve.   In our constantly connected world, we all serve all of these audiences.   But, in Manhattan, the stream of international visitors is a constant physical presence.   Yet I got the distinct feeling that these visitors, though physically present, were not really there.   Most of them were so focused on taking pictures of themselves and their friends or family members with their digital cameras, electronic devices, or cell phones that they seemed removed from the experience.   I  honestly felt as if I were the only one LOOKING at the art work rather than trying to capture the perfect image of it to prove I was there.    If only we could have visitors leave all of their personal possessions and electronic devices aside for just a few minutes to use their eyes to soak it all in.    We let people plan their visits in 52 different languages, we offer them endless ways to approach and understand the objects, but sometimes all we really need to do is to remind them to look...with their own eyes.