Items tagged with "planning"

Over a year ago, when NAMAC chose Boston as the location for its 2009 biennial conference and chose “commonwealth” as its theme, nobody involved knew how important this convening would become.

As we look at the broader dynamics of the social and political environment in which we participate as media makers, uncertainty is the only constant. One truth is undeniable: Across the independent media landscape people are once again caught in restrictive holding patterns, worrying about the same issues that have dominated our organizational conversations for years.

Leadership transitions are a fact of life for nonprofit organizations, but boards, staffs, and executive directors often approach them with trepidation—if not all-out avoidance. As the media arts field matures, some of our most experienced staff leaders are nearing retirement age, and a new generation of staff leaders is emerging. Succession planning is a tool that can help develop new staff leaders, ease the departure of long-term executive directors, and strengthen our organizations.

A quick look at Webster s finds words like "war" and "athletic events" to define "game" and "strategy." For someone who s never been particularly interested in war or athletic events (except when the Pats or Red Sox win), I spend a great deal of time "playing games" and thinking strategically.

At Native American Public Telecommunications, new technologies make strategic planning increasingly important. I often end my days with many more questions than answers.

With a planning grant from the NEA, the staff and board of NAMAC conducted a strategic planning retreat in May 1998. We chose to work with Jim Wiegel, a seasoned meeting facilitator with The Institute of Cultural Affairs in Phoenix, Arizona. Having already participated in ICA-facilitated planning workshops through NAMAC s work in the Peer Arts Service Organization Consortium, I was familiar with and impressed by the process they lead an organization through.