Difficult times are a form of truth serum. They force clear priorities.

For me, that’s meant reaching out nationally to offer a webinar for nonprofit leaders via agencies, associations, and organizations that specifically unite and serve nonprofit causes and their leaders. The webinar, which I offer at no charge, is: “CRISIS ENGAGEMENT: 12 Tasks to Sustain Donors in Turbulent Times.”

For more information about the webinar: https://socialprosperity.us/crisis-engagement

Recent & Upcoming Presentations include the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Chorus America, Maine Arts Commission, Association of California Symphony Orchestras, Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, 501 Commons (Seattle), Performing Arts Readiness Project, and Californians for the Arts.

Friends, please consider this an open invitation. I welcome suggestions, introductions, requests from, and referrals to other agencies, associations and service organizations that are interested in sharing these valuable lessons with their members and communities.

Like so many at this moment, I’m profoundly grateful for every opportunity to help.

Stay Safe; Stay Healthy

Matt Lehrman – Matt@SocialProsperity.us

So, here’s a simply beautiful example of one company’s practice that far exceeds those basics – courtesy of a friend who discovered this letter in her hotel room at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC:

Hello my name is Lichi & I am your room Stylist (A.K.A. Housekeeper).  While you are here in Washington, D.C., I hope you get a chance to get out into our wonderful city to do some exploring.  When you do, I would like to provide you with my own little navigator tip for you to savor & remember when you return home.  There is a restaurant located at 1942 9th Street NW called Etete Global Eats.  My country of origin is Ethiopia & I can honestly say that this restaurant captures the flavors of Ethiopian cuisine just as well as if you were eating in downtown Addis Ababa.  That is my little tip for you, now get out there to explore & live life to discover!  Best Wishes, Lichi

We rise above mere customer service – to the heights of meaningful customer engagement – when we:

• Animate an otherwise forgettable moment,
• Demonstrate thoughtfulness and care in unexpected ways,
• Enliven someone’s journey,
• Honor the humanity within what is often a wholly-anonymous service.

Thank you, Lichi, for this valuable lesson.

Tina Mion’s Stop-Action Reaction – Jacqueline Kennedy, King of Hearts. 1997. I was immediately and profoundly moved upon encountering it at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC years ago.

“Perfect moments.” That’s the beautiful insight that David Ira Goldstein, the beloved Artistic Director Emeritus of Arizona Theatre Company shared with me during my tenure as his administrative partner as ATC’s Interim Managing Director.

When the story is compelling… when the direction is inspired… when the actors’ delivery is flawless… when the set design is beautiful… when the sound is resonant… when the house is full… when the audience is generous… when the stars align…

That’s (some of) what it takes to lose oneself in a perfect moment of theatre; when distractions fade and you find yourself wholly-immersed in a story, a character, a gesture, a word, a sound, a feeling.

I don’t know about you, but I live for those moments.

And they’re not confined to the theatre. I’ve had them at concerts. I’ve had the breath knocked out of me by works of art in museum galleries. (Click the link on Tina Mion’s artwork.)   I’ve been captivated by street performers. I’ll even admit to sobbing at movies, though careful to recognize the difference between having my emotions manipulated versus being deeply engrossed in a character. Remember when the Mets won the World Series in 1986? Yes, that produced such a moment, too. (Sorry Bill Buckner and Red Sox fans.)

For those who philosophize about the purpose of art, I have no qualm with definitions grounded in the virtues of creative expression, the nature of perception, and the pursuit of beauty.

But for all my intents and purposes, art is about “Engagement.”

It’s about transporting someone – or many people – into another’s perspective. It’s the ultimate expression of empathy.  It’s about delivering an impactful interpretation of a direct experience.  As Picasso said, “Art is a lie that tells the truth.”

“Engagement” means that an experience has been delivered and an impression has been left behind; not merely the memory of watching an event or activity, but the sense of having experienced it directly.  What’s left occupies the most precious of mental space, adjacent to my wedding, the birth of my children, the passing of my Grandfather, the completion of my first marathon.

Since the launch of this blog in 2011, I’ve focused on “audience development’ as a strategic and tactical extension of an arts & cultural organization’s mission and marketing plan.  Previously, I would have said that the primary function of “audience development” is to attract the attendance and revenue of attendees.

That’s no longer enough.

Though arts & cultural organizations must surely continue to grow attendance and revenue and serve relevance to the breadth of the communities they serve, there’s an even greater imperative.

Despite all the wonder and potential of this moment, we live in angry and divisive times.  We live in a sense of hyper-awareness, charged by technologies of instant and constant communication.  We live in times of rapid change, but with a trajectory that is not always clear.  We live in times of suspicion, worry, and fear.  We live amidst undeniable and untenable injustice.  We live in a time of cynicism and withdrawal.

In other words, we live in a time when the very qualities of eagerness, openness, and trust necessary to the formation of audiences – the same qualities necessary to form communities – is under threat.

“Audience development” needs to be seen as more than the process of gathering bodies and revenue.  It must also be about the fostering of spirit by which people come together.

“Audience development” can, today, reflect the reality that many other types of entities (i.e. companies, associations, causes, academic institutions, and communities) also aspire to the same eagerness, openness and trust support of their own customers and constituencies.

To practice “audience development” we must all recognize the responsibility to be worthy of that trust… to take our audiences, customers, and communities on a journey toward something constructive.

Please take a look at my updated ABOUT AUDIENCE WANTED post for an even fuller explanation of this aspiration and how I intend to address the topic of “audience development” in this blog going forward.

As I’ve stated before, non-profit arts & cultural organizations cannot survive if positioned merely as the beneficiary of a community’s attention and generosity.  We must assert responsibility to drive the economy, education and inclusive spirit of our communities, and of our nation.

Artistry and empathy are among our “superpowers.”  Other kinds of companies and organizations bring their own special powers.

Our shared responsibility must be to community betterment.

How do we bring people together in these divisive times? How do we instill optimism yet address painful conversations? How do we strengthen patriotism and justice while cultivating compassion and respect? How do we pursue strength without magnifying fear? How do we move forward, without triggering the knee-jerk reactions that prompt retreat?

I don’t know the answers to these questions. Do you? Does anybody?

So, we must keep asking them.

We must keep offering “perfect moments” that deliver the opportunity to experience – and appreciate – the world from the perspective of others. “Audience Development” is no longer just about greater marketing – it’s about bringing people together toward shared experience and mutual understanding.

It’s about giving space for education, expression, and dialogue.

That’s why I say, #EngagementisEverything.

###

So, in these last two weeks of this year, how about taking a moment to ask yourself: “What have I, and what has our organization, learned from this year? What will we do differently in 2018, as a result.”


To start the new year on the right foot, here’s a little holiday gift you can give yourself right now:

1. REFLECT: Look back over your 2017 calendar and identify (at least) 3 specific ways you could have used your time better. Now apply those lessons to 2018.
2. INVITE: Send a quick email that asks your Board, management team, staff (and maybe even your donors and audiences) to respond to this question: “What was our greatest accomplishment of the year?” In January, consider sharing those answers as an energizing 2018 kick-off.
3. PRIORITIZE: Answer this question, “What is one truly important objective I can take responsibility for accomplishing in the new year.” Such personal clarity is the source of all kinds of energy and productivity.

Bottom line: Don’t allow the new year to “just happen” to you. And don’t accept that the only change you have to make is that you have to “just work harder.”

You’ve learned so much this year, you deserve the celebration. You also deserve to get smarter from your experience and apply those lessons to 2018.

So, how will you work differently going forward?  Here are 3 questions to help you get started:

1. What have you learned from the year just concluded?   An exercise: draw a line down the center of a single sheet of paper and headline one column “What Went Wrong” and the other “What Went Right.”  Start writing and don’t stop until you have a total of (at least) 50 items from the season just concluded.  (The columns need not be balanced.)    Next, invite your Board, leadership team, staff, and volunteers to write & share their own lists.  Discuss.  The more explicit you all can be about what you have learned, the greater is your capacity for advancement.
2. What is ONE adjustment to your future plans that is motivated by your organization’s Vision?  The “mission statement” may be the Big Kahuna of a non-profit organization’s strategy for setting actionable priorities, but revisiting your VISION STATEMENT opens your organization to the fresh air of options and opportunities.  With your Board and/or leadership team, invest just a single hour to this discussion: “How might we pursue our ideal in some way fundamentally different from what we are already doing?”
3. Is everyone onboard?   By the end of a fiscal year, you and your team are likely already deep into the execution of the next.  Though arts & culture is a seasonal business, there’s rarely a lull in-between.  That’s why you need to create one.  Has everyone had a chance to be heard on what is (and isn’t) working?  Have ideas and plans been shared and discussed broadly?  It’s never enough to merely report on decisions made by others, elsewhere.  Your team deserves to be meaningfully engaged in shaping your organization’s future.  Let down your guard for a while and conduct some “management by walking around” in your organization.  How exhausted, gratified, informed & excited is your crew for the coming year?  Listen deeply. Making time for discussion now is essential for restoring the motivation and goodwill that your organization needs for the season ahead.

Best wishes for the coming season!

The President’s budget proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts is merely an “opening argument.”  A very long legislative process now begins which will, hopefully, culminate in a budget that reflects moderation and compromise.

Our advocates at Americans for the Arts have long prepared for this day – and it’s reassuring to know that the arts have friends on both sides of the political aisle.  Of course, nothing is assured until the votes are counted, so until then, we must proceed from the position that the NEA’s very survival is on the line.

And for that reason, Congress is not the only place where this debate must take place.

For those of us who support public funding of the arts (plus any/all of the other programs slated for reduction or elimination) – it’s time to accept a concurrent personal responsibility to identify a friend, colleague, relative or neighbor who SUPPORTS the President’s position and engage them in an informed, respectful, and constructive dialogue.  (Such supporters shouldn’t be hard to find, the latest Quinnipiac poll (March 7, 2017) reports that the President enjoys a 91% approval rating among Republicans.)

Outrage is easy.  Cynicism is futile.  We must resist the urge to throw up our hands in disgust.

Now is the time to redouble our efforts to understand the concerns and objectives of our fellow citizens – especially those with whom we disagree.  Respecting them is essential to being heard when we communicate our own concerns and objectives.  (As Michelle Obama would say, “When they go low, we go high.”)

I’m not suggesting that you pick a fight and wrestle anybody to the ground.  Start easy…  how about inviting someone to join you for a show, concert, or museum visit?  Talk about the things that you both enjoy; discover the pleasure of common ground.  It’s not phony and it’s not a set-up to a future argument.  It’s about helping other people discover whatever it is that you enjoy/love/appreciate about whatever arts & cultural experience you are most passionate.

Yes, the stakes in this particular legislative battle are incredibly high.  BUT OUR AMBITION SHOULD BE EVEN GREATER!

Let’s each of us – and the artistic causes, organizations, and communities that we champion – recognize this situation as a precious and critical opportunity for our own effort at audience development.  Now, more than ever, we must work to attract, sustain, cultivate and diversify the population of people who recognize, enjoy and respect our nation’s arts & cultural offerings.

You want votes in Congress?  Do your part by cultivating applause in your community.

# # #

I know, I know…  they never really worked all that well.  Regardless of how I was feeling inside (and as a teenager, well, you know…) the color remained a murky green.

Still, I recall how friends would playfully grab each other’s hands and exclaim, “Let’s see how you’re feeling!”

So go ahead and slip an imaginary mood ring on your finger right now.  What color does it show?

• Black – Fear, Nothing, Angst, Serious, Overworked, Stormy, Depressed, Intense
• Yellow – Anxious, Cool, Cautious, Distracted, Mellow, So-So
• Orange – Stressed, Nervous, Mixed, Confused, Upset, Challenged, Indignant
• Green-Peridot – Mixed Emotions, Restless, Irritated, Distressed, Worried, Hopeful
• Green-Light Green – Normal, Alert, No Great Stress, Sensitive, Jealous, Envious, Guarded
• Blue-Green – Upbeat, Pleased, Somewhat Relaxed, Motivated, Flirtatious
• Blue – Normal, Optimistic, Accepting, Calm, Peaceful, Pleasant
• Indigo-Darker Blue – Deeply Relaxed, Happy, Lovestruck, Bliss, Giving
• Violet-Burgandy – Love, Romance, Amorous, Heat, Mischievous, Moody, Dreamer, Sensual
• Pink – Very Happy, Warm, Affectionate, Loving, Infatuated, Curious

Now slide that imaginary mood ring off of your finger – and place it on the “virtual finger” of your arts or cultural organization.  How does it assess the mood of your organization?

However you feel – and however your organization feels – it’s certainly understandable.

But here’s what’s unacceptable…  Whatever your mood, it’s not okay to dwell in it.  This goes for you AND your organization.

Your mood must not define your world.  It must not isolate you or cause withdrawal from people who feel differently than you.  If anything, these times demand that we build connections in new & meaningful ways.

We humans are social creatures.  We exist in families, groups, and communities.  We rely on each other for comfort, security, and assistance.   We support and inspire each other.  We learn from each other.  We commiserate and celebrate with each other.  When someone is down, others lift them up.  Cue the music:  “Lean on me, when you’re not strong…”

Let’s go even further.

As arts administrators, we are champions of arts & cultural experience.  By definition, those experiences are connections between audiences and artists.  Whether entertaining, educational, thought-provoking, nostalgic, emotional, memorable, engaging, beautiful or whatever, our cause is grounded in people-gathering & mood-influencing.

So, whatever your personal mood, and however your organization feels, take a moment to acknowledge it – then set it aside.  It is unreasonable to expect that your existing audiences and your stakeholders all share that mood – and it is unproductive and dangerous to allow your mood (and the actions that result) to become an obstacle to the engagement of new audiences.

Here are 3 practical suggestions for ways to set aside your mood:

1. Reach beyond the “low-hanging fruit.” – Fearful companies care more about conserving resources and achieving immediate goals.  Reach higher by making an investment whose benefit may not be immediately apparent.  For example, try addressing a new constituency or initiate an unconventional strategic alliance.  Instead of acting upon what you already know, start more sentences with, “I wonder if…” or “How would…”.
2. Start (and don’t stop) asking, “How will our world be different in 5 years?”   Make this your mantra and use it to inspire your team your Board and your stakeholders. Insist that the question be answered without cynicism.  Keep everyone’s focus on the positive future that it is your collective power to create.  It’s much more fun to play offense than to play defense.
3. Learn something new.  Pick up a new hobby.  Read 3 different books addressing the same non-fiction topic.  (I’ve been reading about “Resilience” recently – can you tell?). Volunteer for another organization.  Take a day trip.  Invite a stranger over for dinner.  Do something that helps you see the world through fresh eyes or from someone else’s perspective.  Allow those new skills and insights to inform and refresh your perspective to whatever challenges you’re facing.

Your mood – and the mood of your organization – is merely an effect.  A mood is the feeling that results from all that you’ve been doing.  Being mindful of your mood, but allow it to be the cause of just one thing – a purposeful decision to change your actions.

Now’s the time.

—–

Credit:  The mood ring color descriptions in this post come from this website:  http://www.bestmoodrings.com/blog/mood-ring-color-chart-meanings 

I met Amy Hunter in St. Louis in October 2014, less than 3 months after the shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson.  At the time, she served

The St. Louis Regional Arts Council paired us to lead a frank conversation among leaders of the region’s major arts & cultural institutions on issues of race relations, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Since then, I’ve stayed in touch – admiring her activism and seeking out her knowledge and insights.

 With extreme gratitude, I’m delighted to be able to share her thoughts…  

•  Let me ask you to reflect on what’s changed in and around St. Louis during the 2 1/2 years since Ferguson?  Where do you see progress on the front of race relations and social justice?

The first major impact is the art of protesting.  I am convinced that the strength of the protestors and their tenacity, youth and middle aged leadership, and predominately Black female leadership has led to a movement that encourages voice and protest for change.  The movement in Ferguson helped the Black Lives Matter phrasing to become a globally understood problem of oppression, locally and internationally. On the legislative end,  there was a ruling at the Federal level that police now have to announce they are going to tear gas or smoke bomb an area prior to discharging the gas towards protesters.  That is progress.

As a storyteller, my TEDx talk seems to have helped institutions begin having a conversation about Ferguson and race in general:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdX8uN6VbUE

• There’s obviously a lot of work that still needs to be done.  In the St. Louis area, what are the most immediate priorities to which you are devoting your time and effort?

My number one priority is helping people see the intersectionality of issues and the need for individual activism and interconnected movements and organizing that will increase positive change and equity. Systemic racism impacts the arts, education, law enforcement, healthcare, and citizenship. There is a need to not only understand each other, there is a need to work together for change.

• I know that you’re being asked to speak nationally on topics of race relations and social justice.  In a recent note, you stated, “I have loved the ‘artivism’ that has surged since the election.”  What are you witnessing?  I imagine that you see the efforts of individual artists.  Do you also see arts organizations asserting a leadership role that you admire?  Who/Where?

I would love to see the arts organizations asserting more leadership in increasing understanding of diversity.  This is a great opportunity for the humanities to reflect on the use of art, the definition of artist and to ensure multiple art lenses are being reflected in the work.  The ‘artivism’ allows people to see the issues in a loving, firm and artistic manner.  It allows for the stories to be heard, felt and inspirational.  The film industry is putting forth some amazing works  Ferguson 365 short by Maverick Media, Selma, Fences, Hidden Figures, 13^th, and I am Not Your Negro are all great examples of films that inform, educate and impact the audience.

• What advice do you have for arts & cultural organization leaders who are responsible sustain the support of Board members, donors and other stakeholders possessing a myriad of political agendas?  Especially in today’s sensitive environment, what practical advice would you offer to help organization leaders manage such situations?

Black and Brown artists need funding for projects, the process cannot mimic hazing, it has to be warm and inviting.  Leaders in the arts community may need better outreach to artists of color.  Board members may need to connect with communities of color to see and meet the artist, there is major art being created without the mainstream’s eye.  This art could be shared, sponsored and celebrated, the bridge between the arts community could easily be the bridge to understanding and healing. 

Practical advice includes: give tickets to people that would not normally go to a venue, take the art, actors, leaders to schools especially if they look like the students in urban or inner ringed suburbs,  fund art programs in schools and be prepared to respond to situations with art.  That might mean organizations open their doors to the community to process situations through art, improve acting or visual art for healing or poetry nights for spoken word or music of hope and resilience.

• Lastly, understanding that the readers of this interview are likely arts administrators, artistic directors, curators, arts marketers, fundraisers, Board members and volunteers of arts & cultural organizations of every possible size and genre – might I invite you to suggest 3 “homework assignments” – specific tasks that their organizations should undertake within the next 30 days – as a meaningful step toward advancing the cause of social justice in their communities?

Review your process for supporting artists of color. Not just the people served, there are several white artists making art in Black and Brown spaces, inspect what barriers exist for Black and Brown artists to share in this work

Review the diversity of your staff and board.  Review the people in positions of power and decision-making capabilities not merely and numeric count of how many people of color you employ.

Review and diversify the kinds of artists and art you promote.  If you are a theatre do you have a diverse season which includes people of color as actors along with plays written by people of color?

Art is everywhere and for everyone.  It changes the world.

 # # #

On September 12, 2001,

We remember the fear and uncertainty of 9/11.  Shock.  A desperate need to connect with family and friends.  Withdrawal to places of physical and emotional safety.  We asked, “What does this mean?” and we quickly “battened down the hatches” to protect the budgets and missions of our fragile organizations against the storm that was sure to follow.

But what do we remember of 9/12?  What do we remember of the long and arduous process that commenced the next day – the effort to restore calm, order and clarity?  How long did it take to achieve strategic thinking?

For me: 5 weeks.

It took 5 weeks to realize that I wasn’t the only arts marketing director – and ours wasn’t the only theater or museum – having an impossible time selling tickets and attracting visitors.  That was the Tuesday morning I awoke with the idea to telephone the VP of Advertising of the Arizona Republic and ask if the region’s major newspaper might donate a FREE FULL PAGE AD by which the entire Valley arts & cultural community could offer a “universal 2-for-1 coupon.”  (The Internet wasn’t central to anybody’s communications at that time.)  What I pitched was not a sophisticated marketing campaign but rather a heartfelt and collaborative gesture to extend an invitation and offer permission for people to gather together for theatre, music, dance, art, history and cultural experiences.

Amidst what I’m sure were her own challenges, the VP of Advertising immediately said, “Yes!” (a decision for which I will be forever grateful) – and with quick communication and unprecedented teamwork among a large number of arts & cultural organizations, the idea was executed in just 5 days.

The public response was tremendous and gratifying.  And that joint effort sparked a remarkable period of goodwill and collaboration among Arizona’s arts & cultural organizations that profoundly shaped my career as a teacher, consultant, and champion of the cause of audience development.

What is the nature of organizational resilience?

I’ve often wondered about that “in-between” 5-week period.  What took so long?  Could it have happened faster?  What qualities enable some people to bounce back from adversity faster or more effectively than others?  How do people and organizations prepare themselves to recover from inevitable crises and setbacks?  How can we learn to more readily recover our sense of purposefulness and strategy?  What is the connection between resilience and collaboration?

Recently, these questions led me to a June 24, 2011, article in the Harvard Business Review by George S. Everly, Jr. entitled, “Building a Resilient Organizational Culture.” He observes:

• Resilient organizations invest in their client base.
• Resilient organizations invest in their leaders.
• Resilient organizations invest in all levels of their workforce.

What struck me was what is NOT on that list.  He didn’t suggest to invest in technology.  He didn’t advise to stockpile resources.  And he didn’t urge the accumulation of cash reserves.

Organizational resilience, he asserts, is all about sharing a common sense of purpose.  The rest can be figured out along the way.

How interesting:  Resilience is less a function of strategy – and more a function of vision!  Strategies break.  Vision bends.  Resilience means flexibility.

In these worrisome times, arts & cultural organizations of every size and genre would do well to remember that we exist not just to be the beneficiary of our community’s generosity but to inspire the gathering and connection of the communities we serve.

Though the pain of crisis may be severe, we must not dwell there.  The spirit of 9/12 reminds us that our foremost responsibility – and opportunity – is to keep moving forward.

Resilience.

# # #

How will the world be different in 5 years?

That’s the question I’ll ask leaders of arts & cultural organizations in a series of FutureCast exercises I’ll be facilitating around the country starting next month.*    When the program was conceived last Spring, its intention felt timely, refreshing, and productive – to study the trajectories of demographics, technology, and the economy (and more!) and imagine the exciting opportunities ahead for the arts & cultural organizations that anticipate them.

*It’s not too late!  Contact me if you’re interested in hosting a FutureCast in your community!

Today, I asked my Facebook friends to answer that question – and asked for replies without cynicism.  Among the responses:

Not a good time to ask. Try again in 90 days, when we have some idea of how much of the news out of DC is durable.

I’ve sworn off predicting the future. We’ll see it when it gets here. P.S. That’s not the same thing as giving up on fighting for the future.

It all depends on what we do today.

Understandable.  Many feel lost in a fog – driving slowly and warily, barely able to see the road ahead – no idea how long this will last yet fearful of stopping for the danger of what may be approaching from behind.

How do we relax to consider the future, when the present feels so treacherous?

I really don’t know.  I don’t have that answer.

But just as they say in sports that “the best defense is a good offense” I have to believe that the foundation of progress is a healthy attitude and a compelling imagination.

So, the show will go on.  My responsibility will be to help arts & cultural leaders pause their worries and cynicism for just 90 minutes – long enough to restore mindfulness and purposefulness to the opportunities ahead – and also long enough to recall that it is the nature of arts and cultural experience to inspire the best in humanity.

Our goal is worthwhile.  It’s time to get to work.

As Shakespeare wrote, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

And if you need a little musical pick-me-up: