Open Forum

Dear Rebekah,

I am implementing many of these policies at the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach, FL and would be happy to discuss!

whitney.broadaway@daytonastate.edu
(386) 506-3350

------------------------------
Whitney Broadaway
Director
Southeast Museum of Photography
Daytona Beach FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2022 12:26 PM
From: Rebekah Harding
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hello Museum Friends, 

I am currently researching and writing a book on the relationship between power dynamics and human-centered leadership and I am looking for some additional examples/case studies. I recognize that this work may be new for most organizations and I believe their is power in sharing the imperfect action steps we are taking as we collectively build a more human-centered museum field for its workers. 

I am looking for organizations that may be willing to share their experience or thoughts on the following: 

• Prioritizing wellness of museum workers and its ROI
• Developing employee engagement pathways to foster career growth
• HR-led management or leadership development programs for museum workers  
• Non-hierarchical organizational charts 
• human-centered employee policies that may include dress code, PTO, remote or hybrid work, salary transparency, gender neutral bathrooms, paid paternity leave, subsidized child care, flexible schedules 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best, 

Rebekah Harding 

Hi Rebekah,
In response to your Aug 17, 2022 12:27 PM posting on Museum Junction Open Forum Digest, you may be interested in recent developments in my work on the Cultural Property Risk Analysis Model (CPRAM). This is used to understand risks to cultural collections and guide resource allocation for management of those risks.

For context, most activity in the conservation field in guiding resource allocation for collection risk management is in the form of conservators providing reports to small institutions with prioritized recommendations on what to do to reduce risks. It takes the form of a "command and control" system. That is sensible and reasonable for guiding small institutions. Without awareness of unintended consequences, to an unfortunate degree, this became the pattern for preventive conservation professionals working in larger institutions as well. You can imagine the stress and strain on organizational power dynamics when one professional with authority for a high organizational priority, that is preservation, adopts a command and control approach to working with their allied professionals such as curators, registrars, facility managers, and so on.

Recent developments in enhancing the CPRAM has led to an ability to inform all decision makers influencing risks to collections of their ability to influence risks to collections. This is accomplished with collection risk profiles filtered by their ability to influence risks. All of these decision makers are contributors to the risk analysis, so they have all "bought in" to some extent. Still, reports are provided to decision makers, and their managers, for them to respond to. How they respond is at their discretion. They might push back on the information having seemed reasonable during the first, comprehensive analysis but, when reflected on later, no longer seems valid. That would signal a need to rework the analysis. They might accept the results then using their expertise, including tacit knowledge and opportunity awareness, respond with a plan to reduce the risks they can influence. They might respond by explaining that they have controlled risk that they can influence to their industry standards and any additional control would seem cost prohibitive. Other responses are possible. The important point is that an implicitly command and control approach to preservation has been replaced by a system that engages all relevant professionals to work to a common goal in a collaborative way that engages all their knowledge, skills, and abilities. This approach removes needless constraints imposed by adoption of a command and control approach that is only suitable for very small organizations.

My most recent paper is just now in final translation and copy editing but, if you are interested I can forward a copy when it is available.
Best,
Rob

------------------------------
Robert Waller PhD
Research Associate
Protect Heritage Corp.
Ottawa
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2022 12:26 PM
From: Rebekah Harding
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hello Museum Friends, 

I am currently researching and writing a book on the relationship between power dynamics and human-centered leadership and I am looking for some additional examples/case studies. I recognize that this work may be new for most organizations and I believe their is power in sharing the imperfect action steps we are taking as we collectively build a more human-centered museum field for its workers. 

I am looking for organizations that may be willing to share their experience or thoughts on the following: 

• Prioritizing wellness of museum workers and its ROI
• Developing employee engagement pathways to foster career growth
• HR-led management or leadership development programs for museum workers  
• Non-hierarchical organizational charts 
• human-centered employee policies that may include dress code, PTO, remote or hybrid work, salary transparency, gender neutral bathrooms, paid paternity leave, subsidized child care, flexible schedules 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best, 

Rebekah Harding 

Developing shared risk profiles is a fabulous approach, and I highly recommend Rob's work on this topic.

------------------------------
Elizabeth Merritt
VP Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, CFM
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-23-2022 09:17 AM
From: Robert Waller
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hi Rebekah,
In response to your Aug 17, 2022 12:27 PM posting on Museum Junction Open Forum Digest, you may be interested in recent developments in my work on the Cultural Property Risk Analysis Model (CPRAM). This is used to understand risks to cultural collections and guide resource allocation for management of those risks.

For context, most activity in the conservation field in guiding resource allocation for collection risk management is in the form of conservators providing reports to small institutions with prioritized recommendations on what to do to reduce risks. It takes the form of a "command and control" system. That is sensible and reasonable for guiding small institutions. Without awareness of unintended consequences, to an unfortunate degree, this became the pattern for preventive conservation professionals working in larger institutions as well. You can imagine the stress and strain on organizational power dynamics when one professional with authority for a high organizational priority, that is preservation, adopts a command and control approach to working with their allied professionals such as curators, registrars, facility managers, and so on.

Recent developments in enhancing the CPRAM has led to an ability to inform all decision makers influencing risks to collections of their ability to influence risks to collections. This is accomplished with collection risk profiles filtered by their ability to influence risks. All of these decision makers are contributors to the risk analysis, so they have all "bought in" to some extent. Still, reports are provided to decision makers, and their managers, for them to respond to. How they respond is at their discretion. They might push back on the information having seemed reasonable during the first, comprehensive analysis but, when reflected on later, no longer seems valid. That would signal a need to rework the analysis. They might accept the results then using their expertise, including tacit knowledge and opportunity awareness, respond with a plan to reduce the risks they can influence. They might respond by explaining that they have controlled risk that they can influence to their industry standards and any additional control would seem cost prohibitive. Other responses are possible. The important point is that an implicitly command and control approach to preservation has been replaced by a system that engages all relevant professionals to work to a common goal in a collaborative way that engages all their knowledge, skills, and abilities. This approach removes needless constraints imposed by adoption of a command and control approach that is only suitable for very small organizations.

My most recent paper is just now in final translation and copy editing but, if you are interested I can forward a copy when it is available.
Best,
Rob

------------------------------
Robert Waller PhD
Research Associate
Protect Heritage Corp.
Ottawa

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2022 12:26 PM
From: Rebekah Harding
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hello Museum Friends, 

I am currently researching and writing a book on the relationship between power dynamics and human-centered leadership and I am looking for some additional examples/case studies. I recognize that this work may be new for most organizations and I believe their is power in sharing the imperfect action steps we are taking as we collectively build a more human-centered museum field for its workers. 

I am looking for organizations that may be willing to share their experience or thoughts on the following: 

• Prioritizing wellness of museum workers and its ROI
• Developing employee engagement pathways to foster career growth
• HR-led management or leadership development programs for museum workers  
• Non-hierarchical organizational charts 
• human-centered employee policies that may include dress code, PTO, remote or hybrid work, salary transparency, gender neutral bathrooms, paid paternity leave, subsidized child care, flexible schedules 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best, 

Rebekah Harding 

Original Message:
Sent: 8/23/2022 9:18:00 AM
From: Robert Waller
Subject: RE: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hi Rebekah,
In response to your Aug 17, 2022 12:27 PM posting on Museum Junction Open Forum Digest, you may be interested in recent developments in my work on the Cultural Property Risk Analysis Model (CPRAM). This is used to understand risks to cultural collections and guide resource allocation for management of those risks.

For context, most activity in the conservation field in guiding resource allocation for collection risk management is in the form of conservators providing reports to small institutions with prioritized recommendations on what to do to reduce risks. It takes the form of a "command and control" system. That is sensible and reasonable for guiding small institutions. Without awareness of unintended consequences, to an unfortunate degree, this became the pattern for preventive conservation professionals working in larger institutions as well. You can imagine the stress and strain on organizational power dynamics when one professional with authority for a high organizational priority, that is preservation, adopts a command and control approach to working with their allied professionals such as curators, registrars, facility managers, and so on.

Recent developments in enhancing the CPRAM has led to an ability to inform all decision makers influencing risks to collections of their ability to influence risks to collections. This is accomplished with collection risk profiles filtered by their ability to influence risks. All of these decision makers are contributors to the risk analysis, so they have all "bought in" to some extent. Still, reports are provided to decision makers, and their managers, for them to respond to. How they respond is at their discretion. They might push back on the information having seemed reasonable during the first, comprehensive analysis but, when reflected on later, no longer seems valid. That would signal a need to rework the analysis. They might accept the results then using their expertise, including tacit knowledge and opportunity awareness, respond with a plan to reduce the risks they can influence. They might respond by explaining that they have controlled risk that they can influence to their industry standards and any additional control would seem cost prohibitive. Other responses are possible. The important point is that an implicitly command and control approach to preservation has been replaced by a system that engages all relevant professionals to work to a common goal in a collaborative way that engages all their knowledge, skills, and abilities. This approach removes needless constraints imposed by adoption of a command and control approach that is only suitable for very small organizations.

My most recent paper is just now in final translation and copy editing but, if you are interested I can forward a copy when it is available.
Best,
Rob

------------------------------
Robert Waller PhD
Research Associate
Protect Heritage Corp.
Ottawa
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2022 12:26 PM
From: Rebekah Harding
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hello Museum Friends, 

I am currently researching and writing a book on the relationship between power dynamics and human-centered leadership and I am looking for some additional examples/case studies. I recognize that this work may be new for most organizations and I believe their is power in sharing the imperfect action steps we are taking as we collectively build a more human-centered museum field for its workers. 

I am looking for organizations that may be willing to share their experience or thoughts on the following: 

• Prioritizing wellness of museum workers and its ROI
• Developing employee engagement pathways to foster career growth
• HR-led management or leadership development programs for museum workers  
• Non-hierarchical organizational charts 
• human-centered employee policies that may include dress code, PTO, remote or hybrid work, salary transparency, gender neutral bathrooms, paid paternity leave, subsidized child care, flexible schedules 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best, 

Rebekah Harding 

This sounds like great research. I have no suggestions other than that perhaps it might be interesting to look at some of the scholarly engagements with power as a concept within museum studies as well, even if only as an aside. There are quite a few academics working on this as they study the history and theory of museums. Donald Preziosi, Sally Price, Caroline Ford, Saloni Mathur, Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, Barbara Kirschenblatt-Gimblett etc. Edward Linenthal and Tom Engelhardt's book History Wars could be a good place to start-- you might even find some of the case studies you are curious to survey there.

I would be keen to assert that this question about power is at the foundations of museum studies, which, aside from raw economic solvency and the whims of popular popular culture, is the core profession that is the motor force behind why museums now feel compelled to change.

The bigger problem for museum studies however, I think, which makes addressing research questions like this entirely within its envelope difficult, if not impossible, is that the field doesn't actually have a concrete theory of its own that it can draw upon to explain itself. Its constitutive incompleteness, I think is in truth, its greatest strength-- and this is what I argued in my own research on the topic in my dissertation. However, it does mean that museum studies is forced to pirate concepts and formations from other disciplines and before it can then seek to translate them for its own ends. So, speaking from experience, you end up having to read somewhat widely in order to even formulate a concise question that is legible to a wide audience.

I also am sincerely interested in what it is that orients museums that are not-human centered in the way that we desire them to be? I think in order to do the topic of power dynamics in museums justice that it's going to require some theoretical engagement. The reply to this question, which is a question that is enthymemetic in your statement, is terrain where some of that could occur. What are museums that are not human-centered, centered on, and why? What orients them in this way? I think you are right to assert this, and I'm curious what the dialectical counterpart is to human-centered? For instance, this statement that museums should be more human-centered seems to be a recent development that emerged out of increasing usages of digital technology in museological spaces. But, I think you could argue that the problem the statement addresses certainly pre-existed the digital.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my ted talk. This an area I'm extremely interested in. I'm a recent PhD grad in Cultural Studies, and my dissertation was accompanied by media studies and museum studies certificates, and was a study weaving together analyses of museums, digital tech, and cultural theory.

------------------------------
Seth Alt PhD
Dr. Alt
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2022 12:26 PM
From: Rebekah Harding
Subject: Thinking Deeply about Power Dynamics in Museums

Hello Museum Friends, 

I am currently researching and writing a book on the relationship between power dynamics and human-centered leadership and I am looking for some additional examples/case studies. I recognize that this work may be new for most organizations and I believe their is power in sharing the imperfect action steps we are taking as we collectively build a more human-centered museum field for its workers. 

I am looking for organizations that may be willing to share their experience or thoughts on the following: 

• Prioritizing wellness of museum workers and its ROI
• Developing employee engagement pathways to foster career growth
• HR-led management or leadership development programs for museum workers  
• Non-hierarchical organizational charts 
• human-centered employee policies that may include dress code, PTO, remote or hybrid work, salary transparency, gender neutral bathrooms, paid paternity leave, subsidized child care, flexible schedules 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best, 

Rebekah Harding