Managing People and Projects in Museums: Strategies that Work

Martha Morris

Jul 2017 · Rowman & Littlefield

About this ebook

In Managing People and Projects in Museums, readers will discover a practical guide to managing projects and important lessons about the critical role of individuals in the museum workplace. The chapters are illustrated with the experiences and observations of the author and other museum professionals as well as literature from the field. Specifically, the book covers organizational behavior theory, strategic planning, and staffing and human resource development, contemporary leadership challenges, and ethical decision-making. The book provides details on selecting projects, and creating policies that support sound decision systems. Additional topics covered include: the steps in planning a project including chartering, establishing timelines and assigning roles, and developing budgets. Several management issues that are common pitfalls in museum projects are highlighted, including means of resolving conflict. The text examines the formation of high performing teams with an emphasis on understanding individual differences and communications, and the important role of the project manager. The final chapters of the book include tips on evaluation of project success and a set of nine actual case studies from a variety of types and sizes of museums. The Appendix includes helpful project decision templates, charters, and other management tools used by museums today, along with hypothetical exercises.

About the author

Martha Morris is associate professor of museum studies at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has over 45 years of experience in the museum field as a manager and leader. She served as deputy director of the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History where she oversaw project management programs for key activities of the museum. As a member of the board of the Midatlantic Association of Museums she served as founding program chair of the Building Museums symposium. She has designed workshops, lectured and written on a number of topics including collections planning and management, strategic planning, exhibition development, staffing, museum facilities programs, museum mergers, and 21st century leadership skills.