California Association of Museums: CAM e-News Monthly Museum Poll

An article in the New York Times discussed new strategies to encourage creative thinking in meetings and in the marketplace, inspired by recent publications such as A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink and The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida. In an effort to encourage creative thinking and the use of the right side of the brain, meeting organizers are using children’s games, aromatherapy, puzzles, and stress balls to encourage employees to “think outside the box”. Are these strategies being used in museums? Does the leadership in California museums encourage their employees to be creative thinkers? These compelling strategies inspired the monthly poll for May, "How creative is your museum?"

The results of this informal poll indicate that a good percentage (40%) of California museums perceive themselves as "somewhat creative". Equal numbers of respondents claimed that their organizations were less than "somewhat creative" and "very creative". These responses indicate that there is great diversity in the museum field when it comes to fostering creativity in our work environments and programs. The following are select comments from our subscribers, representing this range of creativity in the museum field:

Artful leadership requires me to embrace the talents and gifts of my staff and volunteers. It also requires me to provide many task options and to be flexible in scheduling. This way, everyone is doing what they love and that allows for the most creativity. -- Pamela Kruse-Buckingham, Director, Oakland Aviation Museum

I work for a small, local history museum, and I find it difficult for our board to embrace ideas beyond the traditional arrangement of exhibits and programming. As I work with many retirees and self-proclaimed "old-timers," much of that fear of change stems from a basic distrust of technology. I hope to draw some younger board members and volunteers into the museum and help to expand the idea of how our small museum can creatively expand our audience and participate more in the cultural ecosystem. -- Anonymous

Directors/managers are encouraged to take risks. Each is provided with the resources to test new ideas in response to thoughtful proposals. We make it a point of learning as much from our failures as we do our successes. -- Anonymous

I think the museum tries to be "creative," but tends to fail and resort to the same ol' same ol' at times. -- Anonymous

Leadership has almost entirely stifled creativity by limiting or eliminating those programs that foster creativity. Leadership in our parent organization is frightened by creativity and intellectual ability, and thus moves to limit or dispose of both. -- Anonymous