Narrowing down the content

Clearly the list of 8 broad topics needs to be narrowed down so we can focus on developing the 3 content areas that will actually be presented. The first step in the process was checking in with our pool of faculty to gauge their interest and availability.  Because we work with a limited pool of faculty – and they each teach in their areas of expertise – their availability is a big factor in determining what content we can present.

At this point we’ve talked to the faculty who would most likely teach each content area. We received a great deal of interest, but had to remove some of the options from the list. The broad topics still under consideration are:

• Finance/ financial management
• Managing teams/ individuals
• Power and influence/ managing change
• Innovation processes/ group dynamics
• Network mapping – how to think strategically about how you build relationships
• Negotiation

As we continue to discuss the content possibilities, I’ll flesh out what each of these might look like in more detail – so definitely check back if you’re curiosity is piqued. And don’t forget to let us know what you think – how is this for a start?  Are there some topics here that have potential in terms of being valuable leadership skills and appropriate for an in-person event?

Possible event sites

In case you couldn’t guess from the last post or two, we’re ramping up the program development to make sure we’re able to present the pilot series of events in September and October.

The first step has been connecting with people across the country to help us identify partners within our targeted communities.  In the conversations we’ve been having, we’ve been looking for people (or organizations) that are already thinking about or working in leadership development and succession planning for arts and culture professionals.  We’re also looking for people who are either involved in – or have access to – networks that include our target audience (arts and culture professionals who aspire to lead organizations in the next 5-7 years).

Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but we’ve identified some strong partners in a number of our target communities.  If I had to guess, I would say it’s pretty likely that we will end up presenting events in:

• Chicago
• Miami
• Minneapolis/St. Paul
• New York
• San Francisco/Bay Area
• ??

It will still be at least a little while before we’re able to finalize the locations for the events, but if you are from one of the communities above, we would be especially grateful for your insight and thoughts as we go through the design process.  Your reactions are welcome either as comments on here or, if  you prefer, you can email me directly.  Regardless of how you do it, we’d love it if you’d share your thoughts with us as we fit all the pieces together.

A few things to think about…

The more people toss around ideas about what could develop for the Future Leadership Program, the more it is clear that there is no single factor that is going to dominate the design process.  As we sort out our thoughts and the data from the survey, these are some of the questions bouncing around our office:

• What is the role of current/future employers in the process – who are we responsive to in determining the content?  Who is expected to make an investment and in what form? Who should make decisions about participation?
• What should the format be – it doesn’t seem feasible to do a large, multi-day event right now so what are the options?  Can people take the time and make the investment to travel?
• How do we prioritize the content areas that have been identified – should the focus be on hard skills (for example understanding financial management, effective use technology), soft skills (such as networking or effective team management) or both?  What are the most effective ways to develop or teach each? Can we make the content relevant for current roles and helpful for moving into executive roles?

Survey Results Part 3: Professional Development

To make their goals a reality, respondents noted that ongoing professional development matters to them. They want to be successful in the jobs they are doing, but also training up for the next opportunity. They want to make sure they “don’t take steps in the wrong direction, or steps that aren’t moving forward.” They would welcome a structured program of professional development, flexible enough to accommodate very busy schedules and heavy workloads, and composed of a mix of services including formal educational opportunities, mentoring, peer networks and the chance to learn more on the job by taking on projects and special programs.

Survey Results Part 5: The Best Method for Learning

Our survey asked people about the style and delivery of professional development programs that they had found particularly helpful in the past, and encouraged them to think about how they want to learn going forward.

Survey Results Part 8: Responses to Questions Ten through Seventeen

We do not have permission from the survey respondents to share the raw data, however we hope the following summary will provide additional material for discussion. As you will see, the survey sample is small and the range of responses are therefore only suggestive of the complete picture for the next cohort of leaders in arts and culture. We reviewed the data in light of our experience working with and talking with cultural professionals over the last several years, and took note of data that matched our prior experiences, and also the data that did not. We hope you will add your thoughts to help fill in the picture and help identify critical areas for more comprehensive research.