There are similarities between the financial institutions that are too big to fail and the Red Cross. After almost two decades of scandals, weak or unethical leadership, bad press and activities harmful to human life (its infamous blood bank scandals) the Red Cross remains one...
UK blogger and arts critic claims that arts organizations must do their part to prevent global warming by not accepting oil company sponsorships. I heartily disagree: see below for my commentary that appears following the article in the electronic version of the Guardian. Here is the...
The controversy over the newly opened Jean Nouvel Philharmonie de Paris is reminiscent of another controversial cultural building project meant to significantly affect a historic district of that great city. The Philharmonie de Paris It was the 1960s, a time of cultural unrest, when the Paris government...
In the November 12, 2014 edition of the International New York Times, the columnist David Brooks reviewed the economic progress made by Soviet bloc countries since the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago. The progress is uneven. There are reasons why some countries...
Over the last month I attended both the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) conferences. While the content and the attendees were different, there were noticeably similar themes and consistent trends. AZA was held at Disney World...
Most failing arts organizations hang on long after they should because one small constituency supports it: whether the arts council panel who continues to support a noncreative poorly run organization because it is “the only one” serving the community, or the wealthy patron who continues...
The most important task of the board of any museum is to select its director, as Willard L. Boyd pointed out in Curator: The Museum Journal 38/3. Unfortunately in recent times, there have been some serious mistakes made by boards in the selection of the...
It is important for the board to develop as many quantitative measurements as possible for evaluating a potential director so that it can make an informed choice, based on a "quantitative screen" as well as chemistry and personality. But how does one develop such a...
Assessing the array of requirements against the experienced candidate's skills, successes, and specific career goals helps the board to define the ideal director. Undoubtedly, specific functional expertise can always be located to support the director: a project manager and capital campaign consultant for the building...
The ideal director is one who brings measurable success to the institution. Attendance is up; quality and morale of the staff has improved; systems are working for, not against, the management; and the foundations are recognizing the quality of the exhibitions with additional grants. By...
“Whether blameworthy or not, the use of the cloak of social responsibility, and the nonsense spoken in its name by influential and prestigious businessmen, does clearly harm the foundations of a free society. I have been impressed time and again by the schizophrenic character of...
U.S. corporations invest in compliance training and ethics programs to create a culture that prevents unethical behaviors; acts by employees that could result in severe penalties and legal actions. Strong ethical cultures lead to a highly motivated workforce, a stronger brand and long-term ROI. But...
Selecting the Ideal Director Selecting the ideal director is the most important responsibility of the museum board. The best directors strengthen the institution, motivate the staff, energize the collections, encourage the board and change the community. The wrong choice is usually evident shortly after the director...
Executive Summary The nonprofit board’s most important decision is hiring or extending the contract of the CEO. And for the prospective or sitting CEO, there is no more important decision than either accepting the position or extending its term. Over the last 30 years I have been...
