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Managing Change
The times, they are a-changing.
That’s what Jane Hirshberg and I were discussing the other day. Jane is the managing director and CEO of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, and we talked about everything from the shift of curatorial and gatekeeping functions from professionals to consumers (think iPod playlists and YouTube) to the recent mid-term elections.
“This is a time,” Jane remarked, “when artists can be galvanizing themselves, preparing to make changes.”
I’ve been thinking about the wisdom of Jane’s comment. How can artists undertake that preparation?
Here are three things you can do today to ensure your success tomorrow.
1. Revisit your mission
I can’t repeat myself often enough: a mission statement is not a to-do list of activities. Rather, it is the big picture of how the world will look once you’ve achieved your goals. Whether you are an organization or a solo practitioner, you need to be crystal clear about what you intend to achieve in the long run. What kind of life do you want to lead? What do you stand for? What difference do you want your art to make in the world? Your mission statement needs to explicitly explain this purpose and vision. If you cannot tell others where you are headed, then how can you expect them to help you get there?
2. Reconsider your stakeholders
Who are the people with a stake in your success, or that of your organization? This is an increasingly complex and essential question, for two reasons. First, it requires you to understand and articulate the deep value of what you offer. (Hint: It’s not about the technique, the art form, or your effort.) Second, it requires you to be as attuned to the lives of others as you are to your own. To keep your support system fresh and active and growing, you need to look to connect your value with the needs of new stakeholders, beyond the usual suspects in the usual places. What we know as the “arts community” is tapped out.
3. Identify opportunities for growth
Okay, it’s harsh, but here goes. Stop obsessing about the problems and obstacles at your feet. Look up. Look ahead. The only way you’ll scale up is to identify the best opportunities in the outside world that will enable you to create new offerings, expand into new markets, or develop new capacity. That means that you have to pay attention to non-artistic things like demographics, politics, and economics. All yer kvetching about the board, the funders, and the philistines will only keep you distracted and stuck. The world’s a-changing, which means that there are fresh opportunities to turn your vision into reality.
Best,
Ann
November 2006