I say it all the time, but it bears repeating: Our society has changed – dramatically – over the past few decades. We talk about it all the time in the context of business (flattening), government and politics (opening) and community (connecting). 

Structurally, these changes in society have been massively disruptive, and our daily lives bear the imprint. But disruption alone does not automatically translate into sustained positive action or lasting shifts in behavior.  Every organization, and particularly those focused on arts and culture, have felt the impact of these changes.  But few, if any, have made the necessary changes – in how they think, operate, or communicate – in response.

Disruptions -- if we are to harvest their potential energy, require us to rethink our usual practices. Where should organizations focus in today’s interconnected society? Which kinds of operational structures make sense now? Which do not? How do we measure impact? How can we be more effective?

My answer: everything must change. The passions and interests of individuals around the world must be refocused and redirected if we are going to keep pace with the challenges that are created as society advances. The way we promote big ideas, fund new ventures, and pursue different opportunities should advance as well, to enable faster rates of change and spur more game-changing innovation. Success in this new era will not only look different but require new metrics for measurement. Some of these already exist; others will evolve or be devised as needed.

One thing is certain: the time for change is, unequivocally, now. One decade into the 21st century, the new technologies are no longer so new to us, but still familiar are our most urgent organizational challenges and social problems. With all of the issues crowding our vision, competing for our attention, and confronting us today, with greater regularity than ever before, misdirected resources and glaring organizational inefficiencies can no longer be tolerated. The first step toward waking up from the status quo is to think differently and embrace it: what you’re doing isn’t working anymore and there is vast potential in this change.

None of us are immune to this criticism, harsh though it may sound. Organizational leaders and staff, marketers and communications experts, governmental agencies, individual philanthropists and funders, advocates for and patrons of arts and culture all bear some part of the responsibility for the state of our world today. At the same time, we are seeing an increase in bottom-up energy and dedication to arts and culture from a wider variety of participants than ever before. This is not a paradox. We must acknowledge that constant, frenetic activity does not equate to drive change on its own. Our current failure to effectively channel the new groundswell of energy is, loudly and clearly, a mandate to change our existing structures and practices. We must rethink everything.

My new book, Shift & Reset, will be published later this month. The argument is simple: In a connected society, we have tremendous opportunity: we have all the tools available to us, we have an unlimited number of channels, everybody can build, and create, and communicate, and engage, and do whatever it is that they need, to address the organizational and societal issues that they believe are most important. But we aren’t accomplishing enough. We aren’t having a big enough impact.  Arts and culture organizations and those who support them, must accept and embrace this reality and make some real changes.  Right now.

The tools and channels created in the past decade have generated a lot of excitement and attention. But the underlying models and structures that are driving innovation and creating the marketplace for organizations to succeed have not fully changed. While technology can facilitate new activities and behaviors, the rest is up to us. The content we deliver, the communities we support—all of these still matter, now more than ever.

Today’s successes don’t come as a result of good communications or creative marketing. A flashy launch doesn’t generate the same kind of excitement it did in the past. Most new ideas, no matter how good, don’t even break through, and the ones that do are struggling to scale or to generate revenue, or other necessary support.  

Given that the public is more engaged than ever before, more capable of collecting and sharing information with a wider audience for free than at any point in our history, we can draw on a larger audience in the shaping and supporting of organizations and innovations than ever before. As a more diverse, interested, and interesting culture emerges, we will have unprecedented opportunities to engage, to drive participation, and to mobilize people to act.

Very few organizations have yet to fully embrace the potential that technology and the Internet have created. There haven’t been many organizations making the kinds of necessary changes, like swapping out their existing talent for fresh perspectives or restructuring their organizations to permanently remove existing silos. Even the largest and most highly regarded organizations are barely scratching the surface of what is possible.

Put another way: everyone is failing at something.

Arts and culture organizations are spending too much time trying to contain and control all facets of these new conversations, but it’s the content of the messages—how they relate to their audience or the ways that an individual or group’s ideas might fit with the rest of the information experience—that really motivates action and drives outcomes. Indeed, it is the individuals—real people, the audience, the community—that have greater potential for influence than any one organization controlling a conversation can even begin to imagine.  Arts and culture organizations aren’t alone in facing these challenges, but they are behind, in many ways, in pursuing real solutions.

My suggestion: focus on supporting and enhancing the interests of your audience, engaging them in the conversations, and listening to what they are saying. I suspect you won’t like everything that you hear. Still, the willingness and ability to meet the needs of individuals who have demonstrated interest will be the litmus tests by which organizations succeed or fail in the future.

Shifting and resetting everything you know is not an easy task.  You will need new ideas, data, inspiration, and encouragement.  It will take time and require patience.  But on the other side of these important changes is an exciting and important future for arts and culture organizations.

This is your invitation.

 Photographs obtained under a Creative Commons license