Agile project management in art museums - how an agile coach can help

At a time when almost every industry is confronted with rapid change, the art world remains no exception. The development of this multifaceted landscape is not only necessary, but also inevitable. We are experiencing an increasingly clear call for social and cultural changes, especially in galleries and museums .

These institutions, which are traditionally regarded as keepers of art and culture, are now faced with the challenge of rethinking their structures. Often rigid hierarchies and outdated ways of thinking slow down the creativity and the exchange of ideas. It is becoming increasingly clear that it is time to break through the old patterns and initiate a cultural change that includes both artists and visitor.

We are firmly convinced that we have a variety of solutions on the hand to actively promote this necessary change. Let us take a closer look at some approaches that can already cause remarkable changes in the art world. Fly hierarchies, for example, lead to the fact that all voices are heard - from the curator to interns. This equality not only promotes an open discussion, but also enables creative talents to get involved in completely and develop innovative ideas.

In addition, an agile way of thinking an important role in this transformation process. By flexible to changes and are ready to try new approaches, galleries and museums can create lively rooms that are accessible to everyone. This agile approach can be further reinforced by appreciative communication.

The combined effects of these approaches can transform art spaces into more integrative and dynamic environments - places where creativity thrives and cooperation is a fundamental principle. Imagine how it would be if every visit to a gallery is not only experienced as a passive view of works of art, but as an active participation in a dialogue about art and its importance in our society.

The challenges of museums and galleries in a time of quick change

At a time that can be summed up "Art in the Age of Instagram" Jia Jia Fei already shaped in 2016-museums for contemporary art are faced with intensive competition through pop-up installations and social media museums such as the Museum of Ice Cream as a sixth-loving Instagram Museum in the United States.

We are convinced that traditional museums, if they do not adapt to the current market conditions and the supportive technological business models, run the risk of losing visitors to alternative attractions such as the pop-ups mentioned. A master study * by Vincent Sulit at the University of San Francisco already analyzed organizational changes in museums and companies in 2017 based on case studies and, based on the results, suggested a possible strategy to adapt to the current market by focusing on the development of visitor -centered exhibitions and programs and using agile project management.

To date, nothing has lost this recommendations.

Vincent Sulit sums up the hierarchical organizational structure, which had maintained museums for a long time, is no longer up to date in today's business world. To do this, he led a statement by the renowned economic theorist and author Henry Mintzberg (1996):

"The only thing a CEO sits on is an organizational chart ... The most outstanding of all company artifacts is never limited to real products and real services, let alone the people who create values ​​every day. It seems as if the organization for management has been created"*

Mintzberg's contribution, in which he questions the structure of the corporate management, was made almost thirty years ago. Nevertheless, mirrors is aptly resisting the current situation in the museum sector. While the division flexibly adapts to the market these days, the museum sector has difficulty keeping up with the challenges of today's and future business environment, even if efforts have been increasingly made in this regard.

Agile project management in museums

Agile project management has also found its way into the museum area for a few years, for example by redesigning Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) The MoMA regularly referred to a group of different departments that act as "audience supporters" .

This team met every two weeks to ensure that the interests of all stakeholders were taken into account. The procedure is reminiscent of historical approaches to the design in the Boston Children's Museum of the 1970s, the aim of which was to ensure a balanced representation relationship.

The use of agile concepts and design thinking as an evaluation method is crucial because it enables iterative feedback loop and underlines the adaptability of the MOMA team.

Agile work for museums, cultural institutions, art teams and organizations

Remove hierarchical barriers

Historically, art institutions were shaped by rigid hierarchies in which decisions were made from top to bottom. But the contemporary art scene demands a departure from this traditional model. The establishment of flat hierarchies favors a more equal approach in which ideas and contributions are recognized regardless of the respective position.

This change strengthens the feeling of self -determination among the team members and enables them to live out their creativity and contribute to the overarching vision of the institution. Artistic collectives and gallery cooperations break with the usual hierarchical structures and embody the principles of flat hierarchies. In such organizations, decision -making is decentralized, and all members have the same say.

For example, a cooperative gallery could be directed by a group of artists who share responsibility for organizing exhibitions, marketing and administrative tasks. This flat hierarchy promotes a feeling of common responsibility and creative autonomy.

Three examples of a particularly revolutionary and perhaps even radical approach are the following artists' collectives:

ruangrupa

The artist collective Ruangrupa , which took over the artistic direction of Documenta Fifteen in Kassel, brought a unique art of art from Jakarta, which took off from western traditions. Instead of focusing masterpieces, the focus is on the community together. Their philosophy is based on the Indonesian concept of Lumbar , which describes a commonly used rice barn and emphasizes values ​​such as collectivity and fair distribution of resources.

These principles shaped both their cooperation and the exhibition design of the Documenta.

Guerilla Girls

The Guerrilla Girls are a feminist group of artists from New York who have been criticizing the art and its power structures for over 35 years. With provocative questions such as "Do women have to be naked to get to the museum?" Show the imbalance in the art world, where mostly male artists and naked women are in focus.

Her appearances in which the members are masked with gorilla masks create an ironic and happy atmosphere, so that their message is better accepted for equality. The group is actively committed to the visibility of women, people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQ people in art.

Your content supports you with concise slogans and statistics that show the underrepresented position of these groups. Since its foundation, over 50 artists have been involved in their projects, whose work has now also been exhibited in well -known museums.

Raumlaborberlin

The architectural collective of space laboratoryberlin surprisingly won the Golden Löwen at the architectural Biennale in Venice. Since its foundation in 1999, the collective is committed to revitalizing neglected places, whereby social sustainability focuses on.

The two projects presented in Venice - Floating University and House of Statistics - were launched in Berlin in 2018 and make the endeavor to reorganize rooms for the population.

Cultivate an agile way of thinking

A dynamic way of thinking enables art galleries to react quickly to walking trends , preferences of the audience and social changes. This approach favors experiments, risk to risk and iterative processes. By refraining from rigid planning and pursuing a more agile strategy, they can remain relevant and communicate with their audience in a meaningful way.

How can this be realized?

It is of the utmost importance to gain the leader Managers should recognize the advantages of agility to react to market changes and promote creativity. Small departmental boundaries and support the cooperation between different areas and teams. Away from the rigid, long -term planning to a flexible and iterative approach.

Integrate agile project management methods

Integrate agile project management methods such as Scrum or Kanban to ensure adaptability and continuous improvement. Create open and regular communication channels. Regular coordination, stand-up meetings and feedback rounds can help that everyone involved remains informed and orientate themselves to the goals of the organization.

Promote a culture of self -determination and autonomy

Give the team members the opportunity to take responsibility for their tasks and decision -making processes. Place the focus on a customer -oriented way of thinking. In the art world, the “customer” be the audience, the artists or the employees. Recognize their needs, collect feedback and adapt your strategies accordingly.

Develop an attitude that is open to changes

Adaptability is crucial in the art market because trends can change rapidly. Equip your team with the skills to deal with uncertainties and proactively react to changes in the industry.

Recognize and appreciate both large and small successes.

Promote appreciative communication

Communication represents the essential element of every organization and is of central importance in the art scene for the design of stories and the promotion of interpersonal connections. The change towards appreciative communication requires the recognition and appreciation of different perspectives, views and contributions.

The establishment of an environment in which constructive feedback is promoted contributes to the creation of a culture of constant further development. This not only improves the quality of the art presented, but also strengthens the cohesion within the team.

Annika Wittrock , marketing coach for artists and creative people, gives 10 tips for promoting a culture of constructive criticism in a growing team.

How can an agile coach help?

An agile coach can help a museum in different ways to integrate agile methods into their management processes.

Here are concrete steps and approaches on how this can be done:

Introductory analysis and advice

1. Need analysis : The Agile Coach begins with a comprehensive analysis of the current way of working in order to identify specific needs and challenges of the museum. This includes discussions with employees at various hierarchy levels and the observation of existing processes.

2. Workshops and training : Introduction of basic principles of the agile project management through workshops and training for all relevant employees. Basic concepts such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean Management are explained.

Implementation of agile methods

1. Scrum framework : Introduction of the Scrum frameworks for project teams. The Agile Coach helps setting up Scrum roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team), establishing product backlogs and carrying out regular sprints.

2. Kanban boards : implementation of Kanban boards to visualize work processes and to promote continuous improvement. This is particularly useful for teams who work on ongoing projects and tasks, such as organizing exhibitions or maintaining collections.

Promotion of flat hierarchies

1. Self -organized teams : Support in the education of self -organized, interdisciplinary teams that can work independently on projects. This reduces administrative hurdles and promotes direct communication and cooperation between team members.

2. Leadership coaching : executive coaching to promote a new culture of trust and delegation. Managers learn to focus on the role of mentors and coaches instead of pure control.

Establish iterative feedback loops

1. Regular retrospectives : Introduction of regular retrospectives at the end of each project phase or sprint. These meetings serve to look back on what went well and what can be improved. The team reflects together and plans concrete measures to optimize.

2. Establish feedback culture : Creation of an open feedback culture in which employees can regularly give and receive feedback. For example, surveys, regular meetings or digital tools can be used to record feedback.

Adaptation and scaling

1. Pilot projects : Start with smaller pilot projects to test the agile procedure and achieve first successes. The findings from these pilot projects are used to expand the methods to larger projects and other departments.

2. Continuous improvement : The Agile Coach supports the museum in continuously evaluating and adapting agile practices. This ensures that methods and processes always meet the current requirements and challenges of the museum.

Accompanying measures

1. Change management : implementation of a comprehensive change management plan to facilitate the transition to agile methods. This includes regular communication of the advantages and progress to all employees.

2. Agile tools and technologies : Introduction and training to agile tools and technologies that support the new processes, such as Jira, Trello or other project management and collaboration tools.

Examples of results

A successfully integrated agile project management can help the museum to plan and implement exhibitions faster and more flexibly, to react more efficiently to visitor feedback, as well as to create an innovative and collaborative work environment that increases the attractiveness of the museum for both employees and visitors.

Due to the close cooperation with an agile coach, the museum can learn and improve, which ultimately leads to a more sustainable and competitive organization.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.

www. kunstplaza .de/