Shhh…Recovery In Process

I am so looking forward to getting back into a productive work routine. Fortunately, all of the office renovations are officially complete, the furniture is moved in, office cats are settling down, and there’s a full weekend to get caught up.

Adaptistration People 135That means I can finally get back to writing the Seattle Symphony Orchestra (SSO) pension overview I promised back in June.

There’s an existing draft that is mostly complete but after pulling it out and giving it a read with a fresh pair of eyes, I’m glad for the decision to postpone. There’s plenty of detail but it’s too academic and, frankly, dull.

The interviews with SSO stakeholders produced far more engaging content than what ended up in the initial version so I’m looking forward to rewrite and publishing later this month. #Really

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.

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