Reposted from NSCC November 15, 2017 e-newsletter
The October 15, 2017 Collections Caretaker Newsletter had an item titled Museum Boards -- Leadership Wish List. It echoed many of the issues explored in my PhD research on museum leadership (1994-98) published as Leading With Passion: Change Management in the 21st Century Museum(2004 - Alta Mira Press).
Chapter 5 in Leading With Passion focuses specifically on trust and the director-trustee leadership interface. It's a fraught interface. Two levels cooperating, colliding, and colluding. It's important to nurture relationships of trust. Accept there will always be conflict, especially during periods of change. There will also be predictable role confusion - who does what, when, and where. Effective conflict resolution skills and practicing principles of restorative justice can help repair damaged relationships. Clarify governance. What does this actually mean? What does it look like when it is working well? Sort out who does what re: policy development, financial planning, and legal responsibility so there are no surprises described in the press.
Finally, get a handle on succession planning for both levels of leadership-- museum directors and trustees. I had a meeting in September 2017 with a mentor from the Emerging Leaders Program funded by the Australia Council for the Arts. The mentor shared issues from the 2017 program compared to issues identified in my research for Leading with Passion (1998 - 2002). There is still a shallow pool of potential leaders for both museum director and trustee roles. Twenty years ago, I offered advice that every director and trustee needs to mentor at least six (6) people to 'take their place' over the next ten years. Whether these people applied for and landed the jobs was not the point. This is what the Australia Council for the Arts has to say about their program: [1]
Over the years Australia Council programs such as the Emerging Leaders Development Program (ELDP) have made a positive impact on the sector and individual careers. As with many capacity building investments, the full extent of the impact of these programs will be realized over the long term. The Australia Council is now working in a different funding environment and has reinforced commitment to supporting the sustainability and capacity of the sector. To ensure our investment is focused, a new strategic approach has been adopted to deliver leadership development. In 2015, the Australia Council completed detailed needs analysis by consulting with various arts leaders including alumni from existing programs. These arts leaders identified the need for a bespoke program to develop their leadership capabilities. We are continuing from an existing base of capacity building programs and will draw on the expertise as well as address the needs of past alumni in future program developments. Participants of the program will have access to a wide variety of internal subject experts with deep sector knowledge and expertise.
Twenty years ago, we needed to create a pool of potential leaders for director and trustee roles. It is a perennial challenge!
Born in the USA and resident in Australia, Dr. Sherene Suchy is a member of the Australian Association of Social Work and the International Council of Museums. She completed her PhD on the museum director's leadership role and change management. Publications include books such as Leading With Passion (2004) andKeepsake: Memoir on the Museum of You & Estate Planning (2016) as contributions to museum management.