Are You Sure That’s a Good Idea?
Museum professionals are the original content creators. They are extremely passionate and possess special knowledge and expertise. These characteristics, in combination with museums’ collections, are a perfect recipe for idea generation. I’ve been in many meetings where the energy exuding from museum professionals about potential new programs, exhibitions, apps, or other initiatives is captivating and contagious.
But, there is no guarantee that an idea that generates excitement within the museum will translate into something people outside the organization want, need, or find meaningful and relevant. The magic of a museum experience happens when the museum’s ideas truly intersect with the people they serve.
An idea might seem amazing to those who work for the museum, but they should proceed with caution and not assume that just because you build that amazing new thing, people will want it.
As an evaluator, I have unfortunately seen this situation happen too many times. A museum has an idea for an exciting new project, gets its Board of Directors’ endorsement, and excites foundations and donors who give their money to make it happen. After months or even years, that thing opens or launches… And then... no one shows up, or audiences’ reactions are lukewarm.
Museums look for reasons why this happened. They question how their plan was carried out, the marketing, or even blame the audience (“they just don’t get it”). They might bring us evaluators in to help them understand why their new idea has fallen flat. Or, if the museum is unaware of how their new idea is doing, we may have to deliver bad news when audience evaluation results come in.
They rarely think back and question the idea itself.
I don’t mean to say all museums enter blindly into developing ideas. There is definitely planning that happens, and planning grants exist for this reason. Some museums are better than others at planning. Many have good intentions when they begin to develop a new idea, but then the timeline gets away from them and the budget is reduced. Things like front-end evaluation, audience research, and advisory committees are eliminated or scaled back, and before you know it, the museum is well into the development process with no turning back.
When we are brought in as evaluators to assess the effectiveness of something once it is already finished, if we find it has not lived up to the museum’s aspirations, we can almost always trace its lack of success back to its beginning. A fundamental question may not have been asked or adequately explored:
“Why are you doing/building/creating/putting energy into this idea in the first place?”
It’s not enough to answer the ”Why” question with, “because it’s interesting and exciting, and we think it's a good idea.” It’s a much bigger question that forces you to interrogate the idea’s reason for being. Answering this question could take you in many directions, but ultimately comes down to being honest with yourself about two things:
Will this idea make the world a better place for people?
Does your museum have the distinct assets, strengths, and expertise truly necessary for developing this idea?
You’ll be tempted to quickly answer “YES!” But these are big, complex questions that require slowing down and thinking critically. There are tools, like Logic Models and Theories of Change, and processes like environmental scans and audience research, that can help you answer these questions systematically. These two questions may lead to other questions, but starting with these two can help you see if the other questions are even worth answering. If you are not making the world a better place for people because of your idea or you do not possess what is needed to successfully develop it, consider not pursuing it at all.
The world has many needs, and museums have many strengths. Considering these two factors at the start may lead to just the right new idea for your museum and audiences.
