Staffing challenges are hitting every corner of the arts sector. The talent pool is thinner, turnover is higher, and even promising hires often lack the training or support to thrive quickly.
But there’s one overlooked factor that can protect your organization when skills and capacity are stretched: a strong, intentional culture.
Here are five ways to build it:
1. Define “How We Work Here” Not Just What We Do
Too many teams only teach tasks, not expectations. But clarity about how you work (from answering emails to resolving a donor complaint) is what holds a team together under pressure.
Quick Tip: If you don’t have this written down, start simple. Create 3–5 “always” and “never” statements about how your team works. Use these in onboarding and staff check-ins. It costs nothing but can help bring alignment.
2. Hire (and Exit) for Cultural Fit... Patiently
When roles go vacant, it’s tempting to fill them quickly. But a misaligned hire costs far more in morale, time, and lost trust than a vacancy ever will.
Quick tip: Be up-front about what cultural alignment looks like at your organization; then hold to it. When someone can’t or won’t work the way your team needs, act compassionately but decisively. Your future self (and your audience) will thank you.
3. Model the Standard at Every Level
Culture lives in moments: how a receptionist greets a patron, how a box office manager resolves a seating mix-up. Seth Godin reminded us in his recent chat with Jill Robinson: One person who cares can change the whole tone of an organization.
Quick tip: Leadership must model the standard daily. Praise moments when staff show the culture in action; a thoughtful donor thank-you, an extra-helpful front-of-house moment; a moment of entrepreneurial thinking. Stories shape culture more than memos do.
4. Train for Skills and Cultural Alignment
It’s not enough to teach new hires what to do. They need to learn why it matters and how to handle the messy realities of live audiences, tight timelines, and tough calls.
Quick tip: Invest in foundational training on loyalty, data, and service values. Even a short monthly team huddle reviewing “what good looks like” pays off in consistency and confidence.
5. Lead with Clarity, Discipline, and Care
When times are tough, many leaders revert to patching holes and hoping for the best. But hope is not a strategy, and it’s exhausting for your team.
Quick tip: Be clear about your goals, measure progress often, and check in human-to-human. Discipline isn’t rigidity; it’s about making choices, communicating them well, and holding steady. This is how your people can trust you, even in chaos.
Keep Learning: Strategy and Purpose in Action
For a deeper look at how strategy, purpose, and practical leadership come together in today’s arts sector, watch the full conversation between Jill Robinson and Seth Godin here.
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