Technology Still Amazes

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As I’m wrapping up my work day I placed a video call to my wife via my tablet PC and Skype, a free VOIP service and even though we’re separated by several time zones and a good portion of the planet, I’m looking at her smiling face and chatting with her while I wait for a ride back to the hotel. Since this is a tablet PC, I have the screen folded over so it is easier to use and thanks to a good wireless connection, I can wander around the building’s lobby and show her some of the fascinating architectural details that seem to cover just about every square inch of buildings in this part of the world. At one point it dawned on me just how amazing and complex technology is. Nevertheless, all good things usually come with asterisk and technology is no exception. In fact, it pays to learn about the basics of online communication before running the risk of having technology put you in a compromising position. For example, have you read about this yet (link may be inactive after 7/26)?

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

View all posts by Drew McManus | Website

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