The Impact on Equity and Diversity of the Lack of Upward Promotion Opportunities

Good morning
"And the beat goes on..........................."

In March, Americans for the Arts released its most recent (2018) Local Arts Agency Salary and Compensation Report, (and though I note that one cannot conclude wholesale that local art agencies dovetail exactly with all the other kinds of organizations within our field),  still here's some of what caught my attention:

1.  The field is dominated by white women.
2.  The ages of staff are fairly evenly split between 25 and 54
3.  Only 38 percent thought they had a clear path for job advancement
4.  Only 55 percent anticipate they will still be working in the arts in five years.
5.  In terms of the goal of the diversification of the field, the report noted that: "while we do see more diversity in the entry- and mid-level positions that hopefully will eventually feed into the leadership of the field—this survey data suggests that the field has made virtually no progress in these efforts."

[Note:  This report has far more information and data than concerns me for purposes of this post, and is worth a read for its insight and observations apart from the issues raised here.]

An equally comprehensive look at compensation, career trajectory options and opinions, ethnic and gender spreads and anticipation of continuing in the field across the entire nonprofit arts sector would be valuable, as would a breakdown of all the organizations in our field as to geographic location (urban, suburban or rural) budget size, and staff size, but I know of no such study.


Equity and Diversity are major, critical objectives for the sector. These goals legitimately dominate our policy making, funding, hiring, and other conversations and concerns.  We know equity depends on achieving diversity in our decision making process, and achieving that diversity means more diversity in the workplace, and in those positions of decision making.

But we have a problem.  Actually two problems.  First a structural problem to realizing our diversity objectives, and that lies in the size of our field, and the size of the organizations that comprise our field.  The fact is that most of our organizations are relatively small - small staffs, small budgets in small demographic settings - rural and suburban.  Most of our organizations, with the exception of organizations that are primarily multicultural in staff and orientation, are predominantly white in both staff and board. While there is an increasing spread as to the age groups comprising our staffs, there is still a Boomer holdover at the top.  As noted in the AFTA study, as we make progress and inroads into hiring more diverse staffs, we might expect that, over time, those hires would rise within the hierarchies of our organizations to increasingly move into more senior positions of authority, power and decision making, but the Second problem, the limitations of size, budget and location, prevent intra advancement within our organizations, principally because there are so few openings, and that is because people in the more senior positions aren't leaving - no matter their age group - and, more critically, because there are few positions within any given job category in our organizations.

Even in our larger organizations with bigger budgets allowing for larger staffs, defined areas within the staff - e.g., the development department, or the marketing department - may have only one or two employees.  Its hard to land a spot in those departments, and even if you do, its harder still to move up as no one is moving out.  For the most part, the only chance for advancement is lateral movement to another organization when an opening occurs.  And lateral movement is difficult given the competition for such scarce openings.  So how do we recruit diversity in our ranks if their are so few openings for people period.  And how do we retain diversity in our ranks if, once recruited, people can't move up either internally or externally?  If we recruit people of color for various jobs in our field, eventually, over time, we ought to see those hires advancing up the organizational ladders to increasing positions of influence and authority.  But we can't just hope that happens. I believe, in certain instances, we have begun to see the first signs of that.  But how long will that take, and if a likely prolonged period, how does that impact the recruitment -- when compared to other sectors, including the private sector, which may be on a faster track and which may have the advantage of budget and size allowing for greater upward career trajectory -- of people to our field, in the first place?  As attractive as our field may be on many levels, we still compete for talent with lots of others fields, public and private.  And job seekers on every level are naturally somewhat impatient.  If there is no identifiable career trajectory options, that may well discourage any number of people from entering the field in the first place.

If these impacts are negative, then where are we if we can't advance diversity because we can't attract diversity to begin with?

Much of our efforts on the diversity front, involve policies, protocols and practices that encourage and enable extant organizations to expand the diversity within their organizations, but those efforts don't address the above reality.  The one area where those negatives may not necessarily apply are with the existing multicultural organizations that are peopled by and serve multicultural audiences and constituencies.  Rather than continue to concentrate a disproportionate amount of our resources on moving white organizations to  diversify, perhaps moving some of those resources to more fully support existing and new multicultural organizations would yield us a larger pool of recruits who would then sooner constitute a larger pool of of seasoned, talented, experienced managers and administrators that could compete for and move into leadership positions across the entire sector.  And when I say move some of our resources, what i'm suggesting is that we move a significant amount of funding, of money.

Another area that compounds the problems we face, is the slower, if not outright lack, of progress in diversifying our Boards, which is where the ultimate decision making authority lies.  And, this is the area that we really need to put a lot more energy and focus on if we are to change the paradigm.

I am not advocating any one approach, or the abandonment of any one strategy, to move us to greater equity and diversity. Certainly we need to continue to push for diversity in all our organizations.  But I do believe we need to recognize the structural limitations of our field as those limitations impact our strategies.  If we can't figure out how to change the structure and the system in which our structures operate, then I don't see how we make timely progress in undoing the past and moving to the future.

We need to consider and address the problems of too few career advancement possibilities - both within organizations, and within the field as a whole - for everyone.  And these are both, in part, structural problems due to our size.  Career trajectory options are important to everyone.  And if we want to recruit and retain more people of color so as to diversify our workforce, then we have got to address that.

Have a good week.

Don't Quit
Barry

Is Customer Service A Priority?

Good morning
"And the beat goes on...................."

Note;  I will continue with more of the Aroha Philanthropies grantee interviews in a couple of weeks.  

What frames and guides your approach to customer service?
The for profit world understands that customer service is critical to their success.  That's true whether it's an industry based on specific products or one which is service oriented.

We too can appreciate the value of a well thought out customer service approach that clearly centers on the customer and one which is ascribed to by the entire organization.  But in many of our organizations, including some of our biggest and best, customer service is almost an afterthought.  In many cases, we operate under the theory that our product - the art we serve - is of such exceptional quality and value, that we are already providing customer service merely by presenting the art around which our organization is centered.  We may believe this.  Our customers may not always entirely agree.

And even if we understand, on a deeper level, that customer service involves everything from the ease and navigability of our websites, to access to tickets, to parking and to the on site experience, we sometimes don't treat customer service as the critically important variable it is in terms of attracting, retaining and expanding our audiences.  We may be guilty, at least from time to time,  of taking our customers for granted.  Customers recognize when this is happening, and by and large, they don't like it.

Let me ask you a question.  Does your organization have a vision statement for its customer service approach?  Not a vision statement for your organization, nor a values statement as to what guides your organization, but a vision as to how you have organized and how you manage your customer service approach.   Few of our organizations have given thought to formulating such a vision statement to guide their customer service approach.  That's unfortunate.

In an article in Forbes by Shep Hyken, a customer service / experience consultant, he quotes such a vision created by Horst Schulz, founder of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Group - a simple, single sentence that "sums up exactly how every employee of the Ritz Carlton is to treat their guests and fellow employees:

"We're ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."

I love this.  It's an elegant, simple vision statement that succinctly and strongly encapsulates the priority of treating the hotel's customers with respect, while at the same time according that same level of respect to those who work at the company.  It involves the organization in maintaining their respect for both their customers, and themselves.  It is both motivating and a source of pride.

The article notes that:  "Every employee carries a laminated placard with the Credo. Also, on the placard are 24 standards that drive the success of the Credo. Before every shift, a manager goes over one of the points with their team. By the end of the month, they have cycled through the 24 standards. Then, it starts over."

Hyken lists four objectives that Schutz included with his vision statement:

1.  "Keep the customer.  Surveys and stats from multiple sources state that it’s less expensive to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. And, that brings us to number two…

2.  Get new customers. This is how a business grows. By the way, take care of the first objective and word-of-mouth will help bring you in new customers.

3.  Encourage the customers to spend as much as possible, but without sabotaging number one.

4.  In all of the above, keep working toward more and more efficiency. Schulze has always looked for ways to improve the process. Don’t sit back on your laurels. Always look for opportunities to do anything and everything you do better – especially if it results in something positive for the customer."

The key to a meaningful customer service approach is to continually reinforce your vision with your people - to live it every day.  Too often, our customer service approaches are merely trophy like ideas that have long been forgotten, and are almost never reinforced.  

What a brilliant customer service vision statement does is to instill in everyone involved in the organization - from staff, to artists, to the Board to volunteers - the critical importance of valuing and respecting your customers.  It frames your attitude towards your customers and sets the standard of behavior towards your customers that is expected from everyone in the organization.  For those with  frequent direct contact with your customers, that vision statement ought to be the screen saver on their computers, or in some other way, reinforced daily.

Because, if you don't constantly reinforce that message and work to have the organization live by it, your customers will notice, and will react accordingly.

So if you don't have a customer service plan of action, or yours has become dormant, you might start with a brainstorming sessions to create a simple vision statement as a starting point.

It will be worth your while.

Have a great week.

Don't Quit
Barry

Interview with the Minnesota Opera on its Vitality Arts Program

Good morning.
"And the beat goes on.............."

This is the first of seven interviews with Aroha Philanthropies Vitality Arts grantee organizations on their creative aging programming.  The hope is organizations that might be considering launching their own senior creative aging program might benefit from some insider insights by organizations that have taken that step, by highlighting their experience.  Included at the end of each interview  are the observations / comments of one or more of the participants in the program, which, it is hoped, might be beneficial in telling the story of this kind of programing, and helping in leveraging the participation of funders, public agencies, potential collaborators and partners in joining a new effort.


First Up:  MINNESOTA  OPERA - In 1963, the commission of Minnesota composer Dominick Argento’s The Masque of Angels sparked the creation of a small Twin Cities opera company spotlighting the rare and avant-garde. Over fifty-five years later, Minnesota Opera is a leading American company, admired as an innovative creator of compelling opera productions, programs, and new works.


They describe their Vitality Arts program - VOICES OF OPERA - as Making a joyful noise with people 55+

Minnesota Opera is proud to announce its newest education initiative, Voices of Opera, an opera chorus for adults 55+. Whether you have sung in the church choir for years or last sang in your high school choir, Voices of Opera encourages you to join with fellow musicians to perform famous operatic excerpts and other choral favorites.


Here are the questions asked of the Organization::

Barry:  What made you want to pursue a vitality arts program for seniors?  Had you had previous experience with crafting programs specifically designed to appeal to seniors?

MN  OPERA:  MN Opera saw the growing need in our community to engage this population with high-quality art-making experiences. Beyond presenting a series of fully-staged opera, we are committed in serving our community by using the knowledge and resources we have as a company, in new, and non-traditional ways. Prior to Voices of Opera we had only just dabbled into the vitality arts area. We provide plenty of opportunities for older adults to enjoy opera as spectators. It was the creation of the art form that was a new angle to learn.

Barry:  Your project focused on an opera choir. Why did you choose that specific discipline?

MN  OPERA:  We have tried some other programs for older adults that were not performance-based, but saw this opportunity to try something different. MN is called the “land of 10,000 choirs” so we knew there was a large community of people who like to sing. Building from that base, we thought there would be a group of people who’d like the chance to sing something that they are not going to sing with their church choir.

Barry:  When you conceived the project, what obstacles and barriers did you identify, and was the reality of designing, then implementing, the project pretty much as expected, or were there elements that surprised you?

MN  OPERA:  The biggest obstacle we faced was the unknown. We have a long history of providing K-12 programs, presenting performances for people of all ages, etc., but we just didn’t know how many folks there were that would want to sing operatic choral music. Was that the way they would want to engage with the art form? Beyond that, we were not going to audition participants, so we didn’t know what the music reading ability of the participants might be, or if they could read music at all. And that’s not even considering we were going to stage some of the music!

Barry:  In creating a budget for the project, what line items were included?  Were there expenses that were unanticipated?  Did you leverage additional funding from other sources?  What sources and how difficult was raising the additional funding?

MN  OPERA:  The budget for the program was fairly consistent to many of our other education programs – Teaching Artists, accompanists, space rental, supplies, promotion, etc. We did not run into many unanticipated expenses, as we had a pretty good idea of the scope and scale of what we were going to offer.

We were able to leverage additional funding by identifying others who are interested in the work. VOO created buzz throughout the Twin Cities, which we were able to connect with others who are excited about this type of work.

Barry:  Did you accurately identify the workload and time involved that management of the project ended up taking, and can you describe that workload and the time involved?  How did you develop your team to oversee the project?  What elements did you include?

MN  OPERA:  The big areas of workload included: identifying the locations (which included a partner who was new to MN Opera), creating a participant recruitment plan, organizing the culminating event, planning the lessons, and evaluating the program. Since the program manager is the lead Teaching Artist, much of the administrative work was streamlined. There were frequent check-ins throughout the entire process as to discuss our progress.

Barry:  The Aroha projects mandated inclusion of teaching artists to conduct the training for the senior participants.  How did you go about recruiting those teaching artists or were they members of your company?  What was involved in their training and involvement that you didn’t anticipate at the outset?  Were there benefits to the teaching artists involvement that came as a bonus?

MN  OPERA:  All the TA we used had a long history with us, some in creating aging work but mostly K-12 programs. All were very interested and motived by the idea of VOO, and so were very willing to dig in and craft an appropriate program. Since this was such a new area for us, we did not anticipate the exact role of our stage director. We did not know how mobile the participants might be, if they had any experience taking direction, and how it would impact their ability to sing some fairly complex music (what an opera chorus is all about!). As the program progressed, we did get a better sense of what we could ask of the participants but it required adept TAs who could make adjustments on the fly in regards to moving people around the stage.

Barry:  Did the project involve any collaborative efforts and / or partnerships with other organizations within the community, such as with universities, senior centers, care facilities or otherwise?  How did those come about and how did they work?  How critical were those to the success of the project?

MN  OPERA:  We partnered with one location and org that was new to us, a theater that we have had a decades long relationship with, and our own building. The location that was new was chosen because of their extensive programming for older adults, rehearsal and theater space, ample free parking, and daytime availability. All of these issues were satisfied with the our other off-site location and in our building. However we had over 150 people register for the program in our building which was more than we could handle. We found another near-by site which worked fine but we did lose some of the cache of holding the program at the Mn Opera Center. Ultimately a good partner and location are critical to the success of a program like this. Everyone needs to be on the same page in terms of goals and objectives to make it a success.

Barry:  Who did you target as participants in the project?  Was recruiting senior participants easy or difficult?  How did you deal with issues such as non-native speaker participants, diversity recruitment, dealing with transportation issues of the senior participants etc.

MN  OPERA:  We targeted the MN Opera “family” (ticket buyers, past participants in various other MN Opera programs), and the contacts of the two off-site locations. Our recruiting efforts were built on our typical audience member who is middle class, white, and speaks English. However we were surprised to learn that the majority of our participants are still working and which lessened any transportation issues, and really appreciated our evening rehearsals.

Barry:  What kinds of marketing did you employ in recruiting senior participants?

MN  OPERA:  Through social media, a print post card, and a few in-program ads, were our primary means of promotion.

Barry:  What criteria did you use to determine if the project succeeded from the organization’s point of view?  How did you evaluate the project during its course and post completion?

MN  OPERA:  Criteria we used to measure our programmatic efforts was through – # of participants, # of participants who continued throughout the entire course, and the quality of experience the participant experienced, such as how they described “what VOO meant to them.”  Institutionally, we measured the program by ability to ID potential future funders, and the board and senior leadership ability to articulate the program’s outputs and outcomes.

Barry:  What lessons did you learn from your experience with the project in the provision of services to seniors in the creative aging arena?  How will you apply what you’ve learned to the sustainability of offering new and additional projects to the senior community in the future?

MN  OPERA:  A big lesson we learned was that you just have to start somewhere. We were not sure who would sign up, what their abilities might be, or if performing this type of repertoire was valuable to people. But we jumped in with both feet with a clear sense of asking questions of the participants and allowing time for reflection with the staff. We also are using this knowledge to consider what future version of VOO might look like, in particular a residential, sleep-away camp.

Barry:  What were the overall pros and cons, logistically and otherwise, in designing, creating, and implementing the project?  What benefits were there to the organization - e.g., new volunteers, new support, new audience members, greater community involvement, media coverage, expanded organization image within the community etc.?

MN  OPERA:  The overall pros of this program was that it provided a needed way for our patrons to engage with opera and MN Opera in a deeper, more meaningful way. We were surprised as to the intensity of response by many of the participants. We assumed people would enjoy making music together, but to hear and read the incredible value the participants found in VOO was remarkable. We are just at the beginning stages in understanding the benefits VOO has on the Mn Opera.

Barry:  Would you recommend that other arts organizations consider creating and launching their own creative aging vitality arts programs?  What are the major considerations arts organizations ought to consider before embarking on the launch of their own programs?  What are the specific considerations in your experience that operas ought to consider in planning a creative aging vitality program?

MN  OPERA:  I would highly recommend other arts org’s consider creative aging programs. As I mentioned above, come up with an idea and do as much pre-planning as possible but understand that your leaning is just beginning. Be open to the idea that, if you are new to this type of work, that there is a lot you don’t know. But draw upon your participants to share their experiences and insight to help guide you efforts. Not only are older adults able to make art, they can be very articulate in terms of assessing the delivery of your program.

Barry:  What advice would you give those organizations gleaned from your experience?

MN  OPERA:  Talk to others who have developed creative aging programs, and try to find some training/PD for your TAs. This type of work is close to K-12 teaching but it is different, and different in some meaningful ways.

Barry:  Do you intend to continue to offer these kinds of program to the senior community?  Why or why not?

MN  OPERA:  Yes we intend continue and expand our programming. The sky’s the limit at this point in terms of what we can do. Hopefully before too long we will be mounting a fully staged opera performed and created entirely by older adults!


Program Participant Thoughts:

Susan Schoenecker is a seventy-three year old retired Geriatric Nurse Practitioner.  She has a BA in Music - piano performance - and taught both privately and at a local Community College.  She had some past choral singing experience.  Her oldest daughter is a local singer / teacher, with opera chorus experience.  She volunteers as an usher at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, takes a weekly Ballet Barre class and the occasional painting class too.  She likes to read and have lunch with her friends.

Asked why she signed up for the Voices of Opera program, she said:
“I really liked the idea of doing something new musically, which was challenging and exciting.  The very thought of singing opera made me tingle.  Singing in languages other than English was definitely a brain-bender. I am always looking for experiences that will keep my brain functional and also expand my horizons as I age. This was a unique opportunity.”

When asked to rate the program, she offered:
“I would rate this experience a 10 out of 10.  I had some initial reservations about the vocal experts of this project, but my overall experience exceeded my expectations for personal accomplishment.  The social benefits were great!  I now have three new close friends [not easy to do with aging] and many new acquaintances.”

She says she plans
“to continue to participate in the program, and perhaps seek out other vocal or music activities as well.  The experience did get me back to playing the piano more by re-stimulating my musical gene.”

When asked how the program might be improved, she noted that:
“I would like to see a more culturally diverse group if possible.  Maybe do some outreach to our rich, culturally diverse communities.”  She added that as the next iteration of the program was to include an expanded rehearsal time, that she thought that would make them even better prepared.

Her advice to anyone interested in the program:
“There are NO Auditions.  We are a friendly group and I encourage anyone interested to try.  Come join the fun!  Music is like life, always something new to learn and experience”


Thank you to Jamie Andrews | Chief Learning Officer, Minnesota Opera 
and to Susan Schoenecker for their participation in this interview.

More interviews in this series coming next month.

Have a great week.

Don't Quit.
Barry