tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post9035353237494386219..comments2024-03-27T05:04:39.476-07:00Comments on Museum 2.0: Best Practices in Innovation from the Tech WorldNina Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-8765145535560471902007-05-02T02:58:00.000-07:002007-05-02T02:58:00.000-07:00Hi NinaReally a core issue, also in Scandinavia. A...Hi Nina<BR/><BR/>Really a core issue, also in Scandinavia. At the National Museum of Denmark where I work, there is a lot of formal support to the idea of new media and the web, but there is a great need for a kind of "transit" place, where the ideas can live until they go into the organisation. I think the idea of innovation pockets is good and should be discussed - and larger museums like my own has a responsibility to use thier size in creating such pockets - also to spread innovation to smaller institutionsMikkel Thellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07300936334089573717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-13215983937242268862007-04-25T08:13:00.000-07:002007-04-25T08:13:00.000-07:00I think recognition is a paycheck every two weeks ...I think recognition is a paycheck every two weeks (and the satisfaction of Getting Things Done).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-31506886870332633482007-04-24T09:53:00.000-07:002007-04-24T09:53:00.000-07:00If museums want "innovators" in all areas of their...If museums want "innovators" in all areas of their operations, then they should build in systems to recognize and reward those innovators.POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05111591384018210698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-14981983594810733992007-04-24T08:02:00.000-07:002007-04-24T08:02:00.000-07:00Seb,How many companies that have stood the test of...Seb,<BR/><BR/>How many companies that have stood the test of time have also included innovation within their core values? 3M, Disney, Walgreens, HP, Johnson & Johnson... you can go through the entire <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/s/002-6763824-7891227?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link%5Fcode=qs&field-keywords=built%20to%20last&sourceid=Mozilla-search" REL="nofollow">Jim Collins stable</A> if care to. Many of those companies have faced enormous change and rolled with it, by innovating but ALSO by sticking to what they do best.<BR/><BR/>However, making the comparison between for-profit and non-profit requires more than just a leap of language. Major museums (and other non-profits) that have been around for more than 100 years have very different business models from corporations that have been "built to last." First, no great philanthropists endowed Toyota for the common good. Second, museums are not competitive market-driven businesses that are responsible to their shareholders -- they ought to be judged by a completely different set of metrics (metrics that may not involve $ signs). Third, while more businesses have failed than succeeded, how many museums have folded? What external forces allow them to persist?<BR/><BR/>Nina -- all that remains of a lot of the SiliValley companies that embraced best practices in innovation is piles of used office furniture. There are more banks than dot.coms. I agree wholeheartedly that cross-departmental teams can do great work within a culture of innovation, but I don't think innovation is enough. What separates out the great institutions is, I think, a strong organizational vision embraced and manifested in the continual work of each employee. Getting the RIGHT employees on board, keeping them, and getting them together in a room, are, IMHO, more important than merely forcing innovation. <BR/><BR/>Finally: Paul, I think passionate leaders will figure out how to make payroll. I don't think passionless leaders will figure out how to make their museums great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-11338047459923614562007-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:002007-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:00Hey NinaProbably the only way to achieve that is t...Hey Nina<BR/><BR/>Probably the only way to achieve that is to align innovation with the core values of the organisation, or, better still, make it one of the core values.<BR/><BR/>Remember that there are actually very few companies that last the length of time that major museums have been around for! Indeed, I don;t think I can name one - except maybe some of the old Japanese firms that still do what they did 300 years ago.<BR/><BR/>Also, don't forget that not every bit of innovation is going to be visible to the outsider! And a lot of the most innovative stuff isn't public facing.<BR/><BR/>SebAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-65805714814880481442007-04-23T19:58:00.000-07:002007-04-23T19:58:00.000-07:00It's interesting that both Paul and Seb's comments...It's interesting that both Paul and Seb's comments suggest that perhaps museums should split their innovative/creative endeavors from the core business--whether that is selling tickets or preserving artifacts. I think a lot of tech companies are going the opposite direction, trying to break down the distinctions between creatives, producers, business folks, etc so that everyone understands the core mission better and can stretch beyond their designated roles.<BR/><BR/>So Seb, I agree that the ideal museum (and more generalized institution?) encourages pockets of innovation supported by a solid core identity and product. But I think we need to open those pockets to everyone in the institution, and not put business people or registrars or anyone else in a vitrine they can't break out of on occasion. <BR/><BR/>It's fabulous that you support innovation on your team. But too often there are the anointed creatives sitting on their yoga balls in a funky corner of the office while front line staff, admin, etc. feel that their creative contributions are not valued or, worse, not needed. How can we promote innovation as an employee value across all departments?Nina Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-34264963958684977562007-04-23T19:38:00.000-07:002007-04-23T19:38:00.000-07:00Hey NinaI know what you mean and certainly within ...Hey Nina<BR/><BR/>I know what you mean and certainly within my team I try to make as much time for experimentation as possible and some of the things we've done like museum blogging, our collection search, an experiment with mobile phone bookmarking, even bits of our kids website have been the result of coming up with an idea and running with it . . . live, as beta.<BR/><BR/>I certainly subscribe to the idea of early public release, and making alterations/iterations as needed.<BR/><BR/>More broadly though you have to remember that museums are often also collecting institutions, charged with preserving heritage from one generation to the next. And when this weighs upon you (as it should!), sometimes the careful road is the one to choose.<BR/><BR/>Probably the ideal museum is one which has pockets of innovation that are allowed and encouraged to thrive, whilst the core super long-term business of preservation is handled by others.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes they can come together - the innovation of the collection search at Powerhouse has been instrumental in drawing attention to our collection, some of which dates back thousands of years - the very core of why we exist.<BR/><BR/>SebAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-44672803782139124722007-04-23T10:25:00.000-07:002007-04-23T10:25:00.000-07:00Is it any surprise that many museums are more like...Is it any surprise that many museums are more like banks than dot.com companies?<BR/><BR/>Do a quick scan of employment ads for museum directors --- inevitably the qualities desired have more to do with "fundraising" than "fun raising."<BR/><BR/>How can museums search for passionate, innovative leaders that also know how to make payroll?<BR/><BR/>Are there such people, or should museums be running parallel "creative" and "business" tracks<BR/>with comparably paid positions?POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05111591384018210698noreply@blogger.com