Chapter 13 Integration of Managing and the Arts Whats every day look - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chapter 13 Integration of Managing and the Arts

What’s every day look like for an arts manager? It’s preparing yourself for discontinuous activity interrupted by meetings The Plan?

• 1. Recognize what’s really happening
• 2. Assessing appropriate and timely action
• 3. Reflecting and regrouping
• 4. Think and do strategically

No plan? Then watch out you don’t fall into the patterns

• f behavior exhibited by a dysfunctional manager.

The Dysfunctional Arts Manager

Dysfunctional arts managers are often a byproduct of attempting to do too much with too little. People like to think they can handle multiple job responsibilities and duties with high stress levels, however everyone has their limits. Arts organizations seldom have the financial resources to hire enough people to do the work of the business. The result is a wide span of job functions with often unclear outcome objectives. The arts manager faces the dilemma of evaluating where they will spend their time every day knowing they are spreading themselves too thin to be effective in all areas. People also invest emotionally in working for arts

• rganizations and failure trying to do an impossible job becomes a personal

failure. Passion without perspective can trap an arts manager into creating a set of unrealistic expectations that others in the organization will mirror their attitudes and behaviors. One place to start in formulating a plan to not becoming a dysfunctional manager is by recognizing and adapting to the “conundrums of managing.”

Navigating Mintzberg’s Conundrums of Managing*

THINKING CONUNDRUMS

The Syndrome of Superficiality The Predicament of Planning

INFORMATION CONUNDRUMS

The Dilemma of Delegating The Mystery of Measuring

PEOPLE CONUNDRUMS

The Enigma of Order The Paradox of Control

ACTION CONUNDRUMS

The Ambiguity of Acting The Riddle of Change

* Managing, Henry Minztberg, p. 159, 2009-2011.

To help from slipping into dysfunction you must realize that the day-to-day life as an arts manager is going to be challenging. Challenging doesn’t mean impossible, but it does imply you need to be disciplined about how you allocate your time and energy as a leader and manager. Consider the risk factors related to these key conundrums and the potential for your organization to create lasting impact through its programs in decision making.

Are you more

• f a

Analytical Manager? Are you more

• f a Systems

Manager? Are you more

• f an Organic

Manager? Leveraging a Mix of Management Styles to be Effective

Rather that becoming overwhelmed be the challenges of your job as an arts manager or resigning yourself to unsolvable conundrums, step back and assess where your management and leadership strengths lie.

Or do you mix and match styles to circumstances?

Analytical Manager

Changing the culture

• Analyzes dysfunction
• Adaptive approach
• Cooperation, not coercion
• Seeks board and staff support
• Defines new culture and values for

the group

Management Styles

Systems Manager

Structure and control

• Analyzes dysfunction
• Formulates organizational

development plan

• Installs better control systems

(finance, personnel, etc.)

• Revises job descriptions and

redefines working relationships

• Actively engages with staff to

provide feedback on job performance

Organic Manager

Adjustment and adaptation

• Analyzes dysfunction
• Views organization as an evolving
• rganism
• Focuses on prevention and

symptoms and causes

• Promotes flexible job boundaries

and team work

• Recognizes control is relative and

some chaos is good

INTEGRATION OF STYLES

• It all starts with

analysis Analytical Manager Systems Manager Organic Manager

Contingency Operating System

Process Mgt Model Human Relations Model Open System Model

Analytical Manager Systems Manager Organic Manager

Formulating Strategy Using Contingencies

Using a contingency operating system helps the arts manager make plans, but it requires carefully using strategies designed to achieve the

• utputs and outcomes of the organization.

Strategies evolve, change and need to be intentional and focused. Working closely with the board and staff helps ensure the arts manager is keeping a sense of perspective about what’s working and not.

Types of Strategies to Apply in Contingency System

Growth Strategy: Increase, diversify, encompass Stability Strategy: Maintain, focus, strengthen Retrenchment Strategy: Discontinue, pull back, consolidate Combination of Strategies: Apply a mix of the three to maximize mission fulfillment

Which brings us back to …

What’s every day look like for an arts manager? It’s about being prepared for discontinuous activity, many meetings, and a slew of management conundrums to sort out

The Plan You Now Have Is To . . .

• 1. Recognize what’s really, really happening in the situations you

face

• 2. Assess appropriate and timely action through your management

style

• 3. Reflect and regroup to manage another day
• 4. Think about the strategic direction your organization is and

where are going on a personal level

And keep working on the skills and abilities of effective arts managers . . .

The Skills and Abilities You’ll Need Always Be Working On

Planning & Development

Planning takes practice and so make it ongoing activity. Don’t wait for all the conditions for planning to be perfect. Engage your staff in planning that supports development and fundraising so the two are connected in building a forward looking organization

Marketing and Public Relations

Keep focused on getting the message out to the widest public audience while putting financial resources to support imaginative marketing, promotion, and advertising of your programming.

Personnel and Financial Management

Be relentless in seeking the best people you can afford and don’t be reluctant to drop someone who isn’t adding value to the organization. One bad hire can drag everyone’s productivity down. Treat every dollar as if it were your own and demand accountability for the impact of every dollar spent.

Government Relations

Assume your organization is part of the political ecology of your community and not outside or above it. Be present at public meetings and clear about how your

• rganization makes an impact. Find out what your arts patrons value about good

government and help be a voice for their concerns.