Reading List » Russell Willis Taylor

Of mental models and doorknobs

Russell Willis Taylor — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:27:58 +0000

In a rapidly changing environment, examining and recognizing our mental models is essential if we are to shape organizations that have the resilience to adapt to change. This article from Andrew Taylor is an excellent quick read about how prevalent those models may be, even if we are not aware of them.

Of mental models and doorknobs – The Artful Manager.

When Business Meets Culture: Ideas and Experiences for Mutual Profit

Russell Willis Taylor — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:26:15 +0000

In this book, eight academics look at the strategic, cultural, and marketing parallels between for profit companies and cultural institutions. Rich with case studies, the essays make an extremely useful contribution to the current conversation about new business models.

When Business Meets Culture: Ideas and Experiences for Mutual Profit

An Optimist’s Tour of the Future

Russell Willis Taylor — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:55:58 +0000

As arts organizations face an increasing number of challenges, it might help us all to lighten the load by “unlearning” some things – Matt Ridley sketches out what a few of those things might be.

Matt Ridley on An Optimist’s Tour of the Future – WSJ.com.

Why Can’t Big Companies Solve Big Problems?

Russell Willis Taylor — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:06:32 +0000

Organizations – and society – face complicated problems that require nuanced solutions. Hybrid thinking crosses traditional boundaries and enables ideas to mix together to create innovative solutions to those problems. The question is, how do you enable that type of flexible thinking in your organization?

Why Can’t Big Companies Solve Big Problems? | Co.Design.

All Together: A Creative Approach to Organisational Change

Russell Willis Taylor — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:42:14 +0000

Organizations need to be efficient and innovative but, in today’s social and economic conditions, they also need to be able to respond creatively to external challenges while staying true to their core purpose. This report looks at one organization journey towards achieving this.

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s story is an example of an organization in turnaround. Over the past few years it has embarked on an ambitious transformation of its famous Stratford-upon-Avon home. At the same time it has transformed its entire way of working by recovering its foundational principle of ‘ensemble’ — using this as a creative and ethical principle, and as a management tool — and extending it from the rehearsal room to the organization as a whole. This change in internal relationships is changing the RSC’s relationship with its audiences and the wider public.

This report tells the story of how this was done. It is based on a three-year observation and suggests what other organizations in the cultural sector and beyond might take from the story. It documents the approaches taken and the difficulties encountered. It also focuses on aspects of organizational development that is often ignored: the importance of emotional engagement, humility and openness. As well as a story of change, it is a story of collective ambition: how it is created, shared and brought to fruition.

via Demos | Publications.

Stealing Fire: Creative Deviance in the Evolution of New Ideas

Russell Willis Taylor — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:08:46 +0000

A different look at how you create break-through innovation.

Stealing Fire: Creative Deviance in the Evolution of New Ideas – Academy of Management.

Billy Beane and Outcomes: What Can Baseball Tell the Nonprofit World About Measures and Measurement?

Russell Willis Taylor — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:13:02 +0000

A fresh look at empirically driven outcome measures; from the “moneyball” guys. What do you think of the lessons they take away from the example? Are there others that stand out to you?

Billy Beane and Outcomes: What Can Baseball Tell the Nonprofit World About Measures and Measurement?.

Advocating for Arts in the Classroom

Russell Willis Taylor — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:11:31 +0000

Mark Bauerlein has made a truly splendid argument for the real and important intrinsic value of the arts in our education system.
Advocating for Arts in the Classroom : Education Next.

Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software

Russell Willis Taylor — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:15:35 +0000

Steven Johnson is an amazing thinker and this book raises intriguing questions for how cultural programming might be designed in the future.

Amazon.com: Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software (9780684868769): Steven Johnson: Books.

Funding: the state of the art | The Art Newspaper

Russell Willis Taylor — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:49:54 +0000

We are all aware that instrumental arguments alone will not suffice for the arts in future. This excellent article sums up many of the reasons why this is so, and urges us to develop new language.

Funding: the state of the art | The Art Newspaper.