one step back, two steps closer? part 1

Let me tell you about my job. To start, read this entry from back in October. It essentially points out a few significant flaws typical of many cultural institutions, some of which I've worked in. So much potential and progress is too often lost because of the mentality of higher-ups who have the power to allocate the resources necessary for such potential and progress to happen, and yet they've never worked a day in my shoes (or any of my colleagues for that matter), nor have they actually experienced the place through the eyes of a visitor, the humble patron for which the institution exists in the first place, in order to understand how the status quo fails, much less be inspired by that failure to conceive solutions and a certain level of flexibility.

I resigned from my position yesterday. It was mutually agreed upon by me and the director of my department that the technical system of the place and I didn't get along with each other. But I finally did instill in her the awareness that such a system was never truly conducive to bringing out the best in people. We talked for at least a half hour. She told me she understood my perspective on it, but the main problem - as always - was that those who actually had the power to turn things around didn't know shit about what actually happens further down, to the level of museum representative and visitor and how that shapes - or erodes - the public perception of the institution.

She was just as frustrated as I was - possibly even more so - that ideas that she had (some of which were very similar to mine) couldn't be realized, primarily because of the prioritizing of the allocation of resources. I explained that many ideas I had would cost nothing. Based on my experiences and observations working in some of the world's best museums, I had examples to illustrate my point. One was the psychological setup of the space in which the visitors interacted with the staff and how they affected each other - the height of the admissions desk, whether the visitors see the cash register with the monies in the drawer, the lack of security guards patrolling the galleries to impose the necessary sense of authority and ensuring that everyone is well behaved. In short, the way that things are currently being run projects an image of the museum as a place not to be respected, but rather trashed a bit here and there, with people thinking they could do whatever they want and run circles around the staff.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that this was easily the worst, dumpiest museum I've ever worked in.