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The Artful Manager

Andrew Taylor on the business of arts & culture

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Paying attention

April 1, 2019 by Andrew Taylor

Attention Sign

The New York Times apparently wants us all to be more productive, since it's hammering away at the subject from many fronts. In one article, Charlotte Lieberman tells us that procrastination isn't about self-control but about negative emotions. In another, Adam Grant suggests that productivity isn't about time management, but about attention. … [Read more...]

Pamela Tatge on Curatorial Practice

March 11, 2019 by Andrew Taylor

Pamela Tatge

In support of this semester's "Presenting the Performing Arts" course at American University, I've started a series of video interviews with performing arts professionals. Through my prep for the class, I found strikingly few resources available in any media about the craft, practice, and management of arts organizations in the live performing arts (beyond the usual-suspect books). … [Read more...]

Exploring the Four Stories

January 2, 2019 by Andrew Taylor

The Four Stories

For over a year now, I've been stewing on and adapting the independent work of E.F. Schumacher and Ken Wilber (citations below), both of whom explore and explain what a "whole" view of ourselves and our world might look like. As I've unfolded it (literally) for a few groups and close colleagues, it now seems useful to unfold it for all of you for your reactions. … [Read more...]

Private, public, plural

August 10, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

In the U.S. we've agreed to disagree about what to call that "other" sector of collective action that isn't private (aka, privately owned business) and isn't public (aka, government). Non-profit, not-for-profit, third, social, civil, voluntary all capture bits of it, but miss important bits as well. Which is why I'm increasingly fond of Henry Mintzberg's framing and naming for this other sector: plural. … [Read more...]

15 Years Ago

July 14, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

cc flickr Bill Swingle

This week marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of The Artful Manager blog, brought to life through the invitation and innovative brilliance of ArtsJournal editor Doug McLennan, and my own growing curiosities at the intersection of art and management and collective action. … [Read more...]

Strong opinions, weakly held

June 25, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

Strong opinions, weakly held

The yelling and pointing in our current civic environment keeps me going back to futurist Paul Saffo and his mantra: "strong opinions, weakly held." In his extensive work exploring the present and divining the future, he found this combination to be a productive path toward more robust thinking. … [Read more...]

The pyramid and the wheel

May 30, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

Barnraising Photo

There are countless ways to categorize collective human action (by legal entity, by sector, by formal/informal structure, by tax status, by geography, and on and on). But sociologist/political-scientist/historian Johan Galtung suggests there are essentially two types: thick-and-small ("the wheel" or "Beta") and thin-and-big ("the pyramid" or "Alpha"). … [Read more...]

Fostering intuition

May 16, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

Eye tracking financial statements

One of the remarkable attributes of experts in a discipline or domain is how quickly they can assess and respond to a complex moment. In a flash, it seems, they cut through the noise, "see" the key components, and "read" the essential patterns that define the best range of response. Whether it's a grandmaster chess player, a car mechanic, an ER nurse, a master craftsperson, a political fixer, or other form of maven, "intuition" is a core quality that helps them move quickly and decisively while others are still scanning the terrain. … [Read more...]

The Adjacent Possible

February 27, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

cc flickr freemanphoto

So much of leadership, management, and change narrative is about "gap analysis." The thinking goes that we achieve a desired future by describing a bold vision, defining our current location, mapping the gap between here and there, and then planning and adjusting our route at check-points along the way. … [Read more...]

Da Vinci’s BFF, the CPA

February 21, 2018 by Andrew Taylor

Luca Pacioli

It’s common modern practice to consider art and commerce in opposition to each other, and artists and accountants as cartoonish polar opposites, as well. But it wasn’t always so. About 520 years ago, art and commerce, artist and accountant, lived with and learned from each other through the lives of Luca Pacioli and an up-and-comer named Leonardo da Vinci. … [Read more...]

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Andrew Taylor is a faculty member of American University's Arts Management Program in Washington, DC...
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Recent Comments

  • Grace Steffan on The Five Flavors of Strategy: “Thanks for sharing.I found a lot of interesting information here. A really very thankful and hopeful that you will write…” Mar 16, 06:27
  • Andrew Taylor on The Relativity Switch: “Thanks Trevor, for the comment and for the image of symphonies in space! Fair point that rocket scientists and arts…” Mar 2, 11:49
  • Trevor O'Donnell on The Relativity Switch: “Great stuff as always, Andrew, but I’m not sure the comparison is apt. Rocket scientists look into the future to…” Mar 1, 20:24
  • william osborne on The Relativity Switch: “A geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles above the earth. For many years, I had to use a direct satellite connection…” Feb 27, 02:33
  • Andrew Taylor on The Five Flavors of Strategy: “Thanks Mario! Glad to know you’re sharing your wisdom in the world! And grateful to be of use.” Feb 26, 07:29

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