Last winter I taught skiing at Heavenly Ski Area in Tahoe.   Over and over I thought “museums need to learn they are in the hospitality business, not the education business”.  I think I learned more about museum customer service as a ski instructor than I ever learned as a staff member at a museum. My priorities in order of importance:

1. Safety - Make sure no one gets hurt, and the kids are safely returned to their care giver

2. Fun – That the kids have a good experience and want to come back and ski again

3. Learning – Learn skills related to skiing

You could use the exact same priorities for any museum, Safety, Fun and Learning in that order.  Most museums feel they are in the “education business”, some museums feel they are in the business of protecting the objects of their collection (“everything would be great if it wasn’t for those pesty visitors”).   I believe museums are in the hospitality business.  Visitors first and for most need to have a good time. As an employee of a ski area, it was drilled into me that the customer comes first, we are helping the visitor “have an experience of a life time”.  This is not a typical museum staff attitude, more often staff of museums are focused inwards (thinking about the collection, the museum politics and the visitor last).  It is often lost on museum staff that the visitor, made plans to visit the museum, got dressed for the occasion, drove to the museum, paid admission all before coming through the front door.  Welcome them, thank them, it is the staff’s job to make their day special.

1. The power of the uniform – As a member of the museum staff you are in a privileged position of responsibility, people look up to you and value your opinion .  That is a big responsibility, take it seriously.  If you don’t know the answer to a question, go find out and get back to the visitor.  Museums don’t like paying for uniforms.  Museum staff don’t like wearing uniforms.  You are there as an expert, look the part and be easily identified as an expert.

2. Training – As a first year ski instructor I went through three days of customer service training in a classroom (paid minimum wage), a week of “on the snow” training and a three days of testing.  I was often shadowed by more experienced instructors and given feedback and advice.  If I wanted to advance, there are opportunities for additional training at my own expense but tied to tiers of pay increases.  I received more training as a part time ski instructor than I ever received as a staff member at a museum.

3. Be selective of staff – Heavenly Ski area is one of the best ski areas in the world.  I was lucky to work there and that is the attitude of the management, they only want the very best.  Often the best ski instructors are not great skiers but great teachers.  Only hire the very best.

4. Tiers of certification – From my first day of training I knew how much I would be making (I also knew how much everybody else was making).  If I wanted to make more money, I could gain additional training with pay raises tied to the training (the training is at my own expense).

5. National organizational participation – As a first year instructor I was encouraged to join the national organization and participate at my own expense.   Most museum staff only participate in American Association of Museums if the museum pays.  I find it inexcusable that indivuals can not join the Association of Science Technology Centers.  How do you expect to advance the field if you can’t join the national organization?

6. Standardization and testing - All ski instructors are judged by the same criteria and tested on their abilities to present the information.

7. Value diversity – I taught kids from all over the world.  I needed to meet the kids where they were, some are athletic, some are overweight, some English is not their first language.  As an instructor I needed to lead the group, to help each other and learn from those who are different.

8. Systems, Boots and reservations – Christmas week we taught hundreds of kids a day.  There were well established systems for equipment and reservations.  Most museums are good with school group lunchs and getting kids on and off buses.  Museums are less good at programs and floor staff interaction with visitors.

9. Build on individuality – I often taught shy skiers.  Most first priority would be to learn about them, what are their interets?  Once trust was established, we could start to ski, without trust you can’t teach.

10. Clear expectations – I knew what was expected of me; kids to understand their equipment, be comfortable with their equipment, learn basic skills and practice their skills.  My first day working at a Science Center I was sent out on the exhibit floor with no expectations.  I was there to answer questions.  I was not equipped to answer questions about a “cloud chamber“, but there I was trying to explain a cloud chamber, that is unfair to the vistor.

11. Share the passion – I am passionate about museums and skiing, I enjoy sharing those passions with others.  Only hire staff who are passionate, Art, Science, History, Zoology, find people who are passionate and have them share their passion with the visitor.

12. Full circle - Train, evaluate and feedback.  I knew I was to be given training, would be evaluated on my ability to present the information and would be given feedback.

13. Independent Contractor Attitude - I was encouraged to create my own systems and plans for teaching.  I was given guidelines, but then given the freedom to create my own lesson plans, my own teaching props and my own way of interacting with students.

14. On the hook, invited back? – Keep your staff “on the hook”.  At the end of the season, I am not sure if I will be hired back, next season.  Do the same with your museum staff, you only want staff at their best.  Continue to test them and let them know if they are not performing at their best they will not be brought back.

15. Check your Equipment Daily – As a ski instructor we were required to have annual physicals, annual equipment checks and we were expected to check our own equipment at the start of every day.  Years ago I had a disagreement with an architect of a new museum.  The architect wanted a separate entrance for the museum staff, I wanted the museum staff to walk through the front door every day.  Make sure you can do everything you are asking your staff, some museums require that all staff work on the floor at least once a month, a great idea.  If you are not on the exhibition floor you can’t “check your equipment”.  Get in the habit of picking up trash in the museum.

From Wikipedia:
“The concept of gross national happiness is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than gross national product.

The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Sigme Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many moral goals, it is somewhat easier to state than to define. Nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for Bhutan’s five-year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country.”

So what.

I get off the plane in Bangkok from Vietnam and I am immediately disappointed, Something is different, why aren’t people smiling? I spent last night and this morning thinking about it, then I remember “the Happy Planet Index“. So low and behold, Vietnam is number #5 in the world ranking of happiness, while Thailand is #41 (USA is #141). There seems to be no Bangkok left in Bangkok, it is Starbucks and Thailand made plastic. I immediately miss Vietnam, how can this be? A country much wealthier and yet they are not nearly as happy (you can see it on their faces).

So what does this have to do with Museums?

I love the “Experience Economy” philosophy, but stepping off the plane I realize that the experience needs to genuine.  I can feel that this is not a genuine experience and it shows up in the Happy Planet Index and it shows up on the faces of the people.  Too often we try to manufacture an experience without the culture to support the experience and the feeling falls flat.  I know it is a stretch comparing a Museum to Bangkok, but then I consider the path that Bhutan and Costa Rica have taken, they both have made a decision to save their culture, because that is why people visit the country.  Without the culture there is nothing to experience.

1. We will see another significant correction in the American stock market in 2010.  The correction will continue to put financial strain on museums and we will see several large and small museums and science centers close.

2.  The closure and slow down of museums and science centers will cause the closure of several large and small design and fabrication firms, in 2010 and 2011.

3.   The changes will force many museums and science centers to rethink their business model.  With the changes there will be several new models tried, “museum clubs”- where you are a member of a museum club, “museum cells” – where the museum exists without walls, “small satellite museums” where the main museum has closed, but there are several small exhibitions scattered around a community,  “the combination of institutions museum/library, museum/ town hall”, “member only for profit museums”; the market will decide the best mix.  By 2012, many struggling museums will be greatly changed, with smaller staff and dark exhibit galleries.  The institutions that will survive will be those that can be flexible and change quickly.

4. To drive attendance museums and science centers will need to change exhibitions more often, with new exhibits every month.  The blockbuster exhibitions will be dead for all but the largest / richest museums.  Instead museums will need to have several smaller topical exhibitions several times a year.   The typical two year exhibit design and fabrication model will be dead at all but the largest museums.  Institutions will no longer be able to afford the two plus year exhibit development cycle and with it museum design and fabrication firms will become more service oriented.

5. By late 2011, we will see demand from the public for connectivity.  Museums and science centers will need to more closely collaborate with schools and universities to meet educational and science standards.  The public will demand transparency, ” how are these exhibits adhering to the science standards?”.  The public will demand a more easily understood set of educational standards that can be easily applied.  With the increased connectivity we will see a distance education model emerge, where the museum experience will be expended beyond the walls of the museum.

5. By 2012 we will start to see and increase in museum donations.  The surviving museums will be leaner and quick reacting.  The surviving museum design and fabrication firms will also be smaller and more service oriented.  We will see a new for “profit model” that is sustainable along side the non profit model.  The museum market in Asia will be greatly expanded and there will be more collaboration between Asian and American institutions.

If the above comes to pass, I think it will be good news.  I can foresee the museums and science centers of 2012 as more vibrant and visitor-centric.

Results Summary:

The majority of participants are interested in the planning of science centers, the majority of participants are museum staff, interested in the process of planning of new exhibitions for currently open museums.

1. What type of museum planning are you the most interested in?

Science Center number one response with 25 entries, Specialized Museum number two response with 17 entries.

2. If specialized Museum, list type:

•    Aquarium / zoo / nature center
•    Green
•    Health, maybe virtual
•    Historic House
•    Aquarium
•    History (Holocaust)
•    State History
•    Culture & History
•    Honest ones
•    Interpretive displays at roadside rest areas
•    Corporate museum such as Harley Davidson Musuem

3. Please select the description the best describes your profession / position.

If other:

•    Artist
•    Exhibition developer and evaluator
•    Exhibit-Facilities Director
•    Director of a Center for Math/Science Ed – science center is just a part of what we do
•    Manager of Exhibits
•    Owner’s representative – capital projects/construction
•    Museum consultant
•    Exhibits & Education Director
•    California Department of Transportation historian
•    Designer, Fabricator
•    Exhibit developer and master planner
•    Retired science center administrator
•    Museum environmental control consultant
•    Museum master planning, design and fabrication
•    Vendor
•    Education Department, Family programs
•    Exhibits Division Director
•    Independent design professional
•    Museum planner
•    Museum service provider
•    Educator
•    Consultant (a little bit of everything; design, mounts, administration, programs)
•    Marketing manager
•    Exhibit Curator
•    Professional Planner
•    Architect

4. What type of blog posts do you find the most interesting?

•    Exhibition design
•    Visitor response, learning statistics, maintenance needs
•    New and expansion of museums construction projects
•    Exhibit graphics and text writing
•    Behind the scenes, sneak peaks of upcoming exhibitions
•    Behind the scenes – how it’s done
•    Posts that tell compelling stories – regardless of the specific content
•    Most of the above (except info about museum visitors)
•    Those related to exhibits currently working on

5. Please add any additional comments that you feel would be helpful in improving the Museum Planner blog.

•    Way too much material to read
•    Also interested in exhibition reviews and general museum info
•    Info about how to choose fabricators, how to coordinate/plan a museum hall, what to think about as planning occurs, how to rate and eventually hire a coordinator/architect, how to know what products are on the market, track record of fabricators, managers etc
•    I would value a blog that talks about the latest innovations in engaging visitors in museum settings and elsewhere.
•    I’m surprised that historical museum was not an option in question #1. In #4 it would be most useful to combine information about museum visitors and museum planning. Too often those are thinly connected and the preferences of a curator or subject specialist overshadow visitor interests and learning behavior leading to a pompous, elitist exhibit.
•    How are other museums handling the slowing economy and possibly the smaller visitorships?
•    First question must be answered, but I have no “favorite” museum, only a curiosity about how to best assist in preserving the museum’s artifacts
•    One area we are trying to develop a conversation about is prototyping. There are many different definitions and expectations of this critical step in creating meaningful visitor experiences
•    Interesting you would leave out history/historic site museums and public gardens in your mix above. It points out the problem of categories – what falls outside is often more interesting than what falls inside
•    Always interested in new and creative ways to reach and engage teachers!
•    I’m glad to know about this blog, was unaware! don’t know about it
•    Multiple checks. For instance – we often design the visitor experience and then create the homes for the animals that will share the message delivery goals with the human staff.
•    Museum best practices (exhibit planning, marketing, market research, fundraising, memberships) – attendance statistics and future trends

As a sample we have created a simple 3 question sample survey regarding the Museum Planner Blog.  The survey will be active for the next 30 days and the results will be posted on Museum Planner July 1, 2009.

The survey is completely anonymous and no information will be collected about the participants.

Click Here to take survey