Public Trust & Accountability

• Be good
• No really—not only be legal, but be ethical
• Show everyone how good and ethical you are
• (don’t wait for them to ask)
• Do good for people
• Know which people
• And to be on the safe side
• Be nice to everyone else, too
• Especially if they live next door
• Avoid cloning
• Look something like the people you are doing good for
• And maybe a bit like your neighbors
• Let other people help decide what games to play
• And what the rules are
• Share your toys

Mission and Planning

• Know what you want to do
• And why it makes a difference to anyone
• Then put it in writing
• Stick to it
• Decide what you want to do next
• When you are deciding what to do, ask lots of people for their opinion
• Put it in writing
• Then do it
• If it didn’t work, don’t do it again
• If it did work, do

Leadership and Organizational Structure

• Make sure everyone is clear about who is doing what
• The board knows it is governing
• The director knows she is directing
• (and the board knows it too)
• The staff know they are doing everything else
• And have it in writing

Collections Stewardship

• Know what stuff you have
• Know what stuff you need
• Know where it is
• Take good care of it
• Make sure someone gets some good out of it
• Especially people you care about
• And your neighbors

Education and Interpretation

• Know who you are talking to
• Ask them what they want to know
• Know what you want to say
• (and what you are talking about)
• Use appropriate language (or images, or music)
• Make sure people understood you
• And ask them if they liked it
• If not, change it

Financial Stability

• Put your money where your mission is
• Is it enough money?
• Will it be there next year, too?
• Know when you will need more $
• Know where you are going to get it from
• Don’t diddle the books

Facilities and Risk Management

• Don’t crowd people
• Or things
• Make it safe to visit your museum
• Or work there
• Keep it clean
• Keep the toilet paper stocked
• And if all else fails, know where the exit is
• (and make sure it is clearly marked)