#TBT The Negotiation Process Continues To Evolve

One of the consistently popular posts at Adaptation is the negotiation historical timeline. Originally written in 2004, it started with the 1950s and ended with the 2010s.

Having said that, the 2010 section was based on barely half a decade of time. Given the firm toehold we have on 2022, it’s high time to update the article with a clear retrospective on the 2010s and to shed a little light on the 2020s, which have already seen some remarkable developments thanks to the pandemic.

In the meantime, check out the article as it stands:

The Negotiation Process: A Historical Timeline

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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