- In 2008, at Hennessey’s urging, the board approved a recommendation to make admission to the museum’s permanent collections free of charge for a three-year trial period. Not only did attendance jump 33% in the first year, it had a “surprising ripple effect” boosting the sense of philanthropy and connection to the museum. Indeed, while admission income had been an important source of revenue, far more important and critical to long-term growth was the pipeline of donors and funding, with a 90% membership retention rate among top donors.
- A capital campaign launched in 2010 surpassed its initial target goal during the “quiet phase,” so the goal was increased and only two years in, free admission had been funded in perpetuity, a 7,000 square foot Glass Studio had been built and opened, and the curatorial department had doubled in size.
The authors close the Chrysler case study by borrowing learning from Daniel Pink (“The puzzle of motivation“) and John Kotter (Leading Change):
- Serve first, lead second. Commit to developing and serving the needs of your partners and your clients, and leadership will follow.
- Ensure autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Give people the freedom to decide and then act, and make the work meaningful and important.
- Conduct rather than control; bring out the best in others.
- Be unequivocal in supporting your staff. Applaud initiative.
- Remove barriers to empowerment. Ensure that structures, systems, and supervisors provide support.
- Above all else, show respect and appreciation, again and again.
It surely has occurred to many of you, as it has to me, that law firms often display exceptional—truly world-class—levels of performance in the competitive event called, “killing morale.” We will leave for another day just exactly what are the psychological traits of lawyers tempting them into this soul-destroying exercise, but for today I implore you to listen to the message of Magnetic. Not only is it extremely poor social form, it doesn’t work.
Truly outstanding organizations—six museums out of 17,500 were chosen here, don’t forget—not only don’t indulge in morale busters, they do precisely the opposite. Trust your people to rise to the occasion. I can assure you they will do so, and in ways that may amaze and astound you with their power and dedication.
Finally, to silence the dark little gremlin inside you who continues to insist that they can’t be trusted, try this thought experiment: Has it ever (seriously) crossed your mind to give less than 100% to the firm and to your clients? No—of course not. So why do you presume they’re any different? They aren’t. They’re every iota as dedicated as you are. If you let them be.
The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk
Hello!
You stated that “The third [“The Chrysler Museum exists to enrich and transform lives. We bring art and people together through experiences that delight, inform, and inspire.”] is of course the important one…”
I’d like to suggest that perhaps the second point, “it defined the museum’s audience as the 1.5 million people living within 50 miles and committed to engaging all of them, not just the prosperous and well-educated” is actually the more important point, especially given your analysis.
The second point underlines the value of service to all, not a select few. It automatically assumes that the museum exists as part of a larger community and is nothing without that community. It also values all people and does not judge, which is the heart of true service.
True inspiration by an entire community is possible when the whole community is embraced. Nothing the Chrysler did could have been possible without that very fundamental change in perspective and attitude. The community is not there to revere the institution – the institution has no purpose unless it serves all parts of the community.
Part of what I do career-wise is develop content for museum exhibits. I also do business consulting on special creative projects. Whether I’m working with exhibit designers or website teams, I try to keep everyone focused on the single goal – the community. Not the internal egos, not the internal struggles – the community. It guides relevancy, usability, optimization of assets – everything.
Very nice article – I hope you receive great applause from your legal community!