{"id":1474,"date":"2025-09-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=1474"},"modified":"2025-08-19T00:41:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T00:41:22","slug":"have-people-and-write-stuff-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/09\/02\/have-people-and-write-stuff-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Have People and Write Stuff Down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The arts might be great for inspiration, but Sartre had it wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The luckiest people in the world, so I’m told. (Photo by Hannah Nelson from Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Over the last 12 months two of my partner\u2019s brothers died. One in September 2024, the other in August 2025 (as in, last month). In both cases, my partner was in charge of the administration of their estates. These were her two favorite siblings, flawed in their own ways like any human, but ultimately good, funny, caring people. It was very difficult to do the necessary administrative work, take all the phone calls from well-meaning gossipmongers, fend off avaricious behaviors from the other siblings, and still have time to sit and grieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not about the two brothers or my partner. This is about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what, you have no legacy with the organization with which you work, even if you\u2019ve worked there for twenty years. Your legacy there ends the day you leave. Or die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eleven years ago, I wrote this short column about succession planning for nonprofit arts organizations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

I Died This Morning<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was an energetic, charismatic, visionary leader.
I worked at least 60 hours a week.
The office is by turns chaotic and paralyzed.
Some are crying.
Some are ecstatic.
Outside the charity, most don\u2019t care.
Not their problem.
Trustees are panicking. Staff members are traumatized.
Some are taking charge, Alexander Haig-style.
Others are forming committees to decide what to decide.
Still others are composing resignations.
Reporter on line 1.
I knew every board and staff member.
And their families.
I knew every major donor.
I knew local foundation leaders.
Benefactors on line 2.
Beneficiaries on line 3.
I knew financials.
I knew history.
I had passwords.
Vendors on line 4.
I knew where everything was.
I shared that information.
But that was 5 years ago.
To employees who are no longer here.
Too bad there wasn\u2019t a written succession policy.
Not my problem.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

(And yes, your company should have a fully fleshed-out, WRITTEN DOWN succession policy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your arts organization has to be run by the people who are there right now. For those who have retired, avoid granting \u201cemeritus\u201d status. No board membership. No committee membership. Retired is retired. Let them go (that goes for both sides). Place a call on rare occasion for advice, but do not, by any means, put a retired person\u2019s name on anything. It\u2019s not fair to the ones who are still there. Or worse, newly <\/em>there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have people. <\/strong>Every bit of media, every product on the market, every technological breakthrough \u2014 in short, everything around you making noise \u2014<\/em> has the goal of making you feel independently resourceful. That\u2019s the nice way of putting it. What\u2019s the real goal? To separate you and make you buy more stuff to replace people in your life. We wrote about \u201cThe Phantom Effect<\/a>\u201d back in 2022 and the key elements still apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you really choose to have no friends whatsover? Why?<\/a> Because you\u2019re a big fan of Sartre?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cL’enfer, c’est les autres.\u201d (\u201cHell is other people.\u201d)<\/p>\nHuis Clos (No Exit), Jean-Paul Sartre<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How many times have you told a colleague, friend, or frankly, anyone, <\/em>that you\u2019re \u201ctoo busy?\u201d Stop it. Stop being \u201ctoo busy.\u201d<\/strong> You\u2019re not that important to be \u201ctoo busy.\u201d No one is. If you are the kind of person who answers even the most banal question (\u201cHow are you?\u201d) with some form of \u201cToo busy,\u201d you\u2019re blowing it. Here\u2019s why people say they\u2019re \u201ctoo busy:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They feel superior because \u201cbusy,\u201d to them, is the opposite of \u201cinsignificant.\u201d They believe that taking days to enjoy life is not what days off are for; that would be the sign of being unnecessary. They measure who they are by what they accomplish, not by their own values and ideas. They make sure they don\u2019t have enough time for exploring relationships because new ideas that aren\u2019t theirs don\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, if you\u2019ve made yourself too busy, people will stop caring how you are. Bad idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you decided that your phone is the only friend you need? Just scroll and swipe and click and scroll some more? Is that all you want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
It\u2019s funny. We used to use that device to call other people. How silly. (Photo by mikoto.raw Photographer from Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are generally not here to torture you, just as you are not here to torture them. Stuff, accomplishments, awards, and photos? All meaningless. Good fodder for stories, sure, but really they\u2019re just pieces of metal and fancy paper. You need people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing that matters in the end is other people and, if you\u2019re really lucky, love. Everything else is bunting on the balcony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write it down<\/strong>. If you have not written a will, write one. If you\u2019re worried about the cost, you can go to www.freewill.com<\/a>. If you\u2019re more worried about time than funds, make an appointment with an estate attorney. Pronto. Now. Immediately. If you don\u2019t, you\u2019ll cause unnecessary stress and family wars, both in the living room and the courtroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and remember to sign it and have it notarized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re of a mind that you have nothing to leave and believe that, therefore, a will is not necessary, you\u2019re wrong. Do the process and you\u2019ll find things will be clearer for your progeny and your people. It\u2019s easy. Takes 20 minutes or so and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
It\u2019s very easy. Just write the damn thing. You can always change it later.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and if you\u2019re creeped out by the idea of writing a will because it makes you aware of the fact that you\u2019re going to die (this is a surprise?), put your big-person pants on and just do it. Tuck it away in a file where other people know where to find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have people and write things down. Simple advice. If you want to leave a legacy, it\u2019s not made of brick and mortar; it\u2019s made of the lives of the people you leave behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Scene<\/a>
If you want your nonprofit arts organization to thrive<\/strong>, just pick up this inexpensive trilogy. If not, I can let you know how to throw “Going Out Of Business” sales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"\"
I love that you read this column all the way to the end. Could you find it within you to support my caffeine habit, either by clicking or getting together?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why Sartre had it wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,40,32,24,19,18,17,99],"tags":[150,149,151,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-1474","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-book-recommendation","8":"category-change","9":"category-charity","10":"category-freedom-of-speech","11":"category-leadership","12":"category-nonprofit","13":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","14":"category-scene-change","15":"tag-people","16":"tag-succession","17":"tag-too-busy","18":"tag-writing","19":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-hannah-nelson-390257-10379891.jpg?fit=1000%2C618&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1517,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/07\/a-punchy-outspoken-argument-for-how-nonprofit-arts-organizations-should-be-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":1474,"position":0},"title":"“A PUNCHY, OUTSPOKEN ARGUMENT FOR HOW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN.”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"An example-driven new map to success in the realm of nonprofit theater.\" \u2014 Kirkus Reviews.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scene Change, Scene Change 2, and Scene Change 3 - 3 books to improve your arts organization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":925,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/06\/04\/sometimes-theres-a-pretty-good-reason-to-swim-upstream\/","url_meta":{"origin":1474,"position":1},"title":"Sometimes There\u2019s a Pretty Good Reason to Swim Upstream","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"June 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"There are times when swimming with the current can be fatal. 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