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An Example of Strategic Foresight in Museum Planning
In March, the Alliance released my major pandemic project: The AAM Strategic Foresight Toolkit, a comprehensive guide to applying the skills of futures thinking to museum practice. Over 300 people have purchased the Toolkit, and I have … -
Introducing Your Do-It-Yourself Toolkit for Strategic Foresight
Check it out. I made something for you ↑ I’ve been teaching strategic foresight to museum people for fourteen years now, travelling around the country to give talks and lead workshops, brainstorming, and team-building exercises at museums … -
The Long-awaited Tail
“With our imagination, the future is a place where anything, or one hundred things, or everything, can be different—even things that seem impossible to change today.” –Dr. Jane McGonigal, futurist and games designer I want to start … -
Forecasting 2022, Part 1: Waves Ahead
I’d hoped to be forecasting the post-COVID future by this point, but that apparently wasn’t in the cards. (Forgive me a little futurist Tarot humor.) Instead, it’s entirely possible that 2022 will become Year Three of the COVID-19 … -
How a Disturbing Historical Discovery Inspired a New Mission at Old North Foundation
The enduring fame of the Old North Church in Boston began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when church sexton Robert Newman and vestryman Capt. John Pulling Jr. climbed the steeple and raised two lanterns as a signal that the British were … -
How the Museum of Science and History in Memphis Used the Pandemic to Springboard Its Strategic Plan
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis had already started a radical reshaping of its image, structure, and programming. When I began as Executive Director in January 2020, we were armed with an … -
A Futures Approach to Museum Planning
Nothing gives me greater joy than learning how the futurist materials created by CFM have helped museums and museum people in their work. Today on the blog, Ty Smith and Jeremy Taylor tell us how the California State Railroad Museum used … -
Mapping Uncertainty in 2021
I have been wishing everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR (in all caps) because I am so relieved to see the backside of 2020. But “better than last year” is a very low bar indeed, and we face many very hard months ahead. That being so, my focus this … -
Reinventing Museums: Pandemic Disruption as an Opportunity for Change
Looking for some good things in a terrible time, people have pointed out that air pollution plummeted as the world locked down, sea turtles are nesting undisturbed, managers are realizing telecommuting actually increases productivity, and … -
Crowdsourcing the Peabody Museum’s Future
I’m often asked which topics featured in CFM’s TrendsWatch report proved to be of enduring importance, and which fizzle. I’m happy to say that so far, all the trends we’ve identified have continued to be significant for our field. Case in …
Tag: Strategic Planning
Latest Stories from AAM
Mining the 2025 Annual National Snapshot of US Museums
Category:
Center for the Future of Museums Blog
How do doctors assess your health? Asking how you feel is important, but objective, …
2025 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums
Category:
Research and Reports
About the Report The 2025 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums survey, …
National Survey Reveals Alarming Downturn: Museums Face Worst Financial Outlook Since Pandemic
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Press Release
For Immediate Release Arlington, VA–The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only …