Posts Tagged ‘cultural’

Managing the cultural heritage

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

I think that everybody heard about what happened in Pompei- just the last of a long series of cultural heritage losses due to mismanagement.

As I wrote before, I think that the Italian cultural heritage is a shared heritage- and Italy lacks the resources to manage everything: what you find inside the UNESCO list (45 sites) is just the tip of the iceberg.

But I read over the last few days too many articles talking about principles, not practicalities.

Therefore, I would like to share some considerations derived from data (on the actual costs involved in protecting cultural heritage) and experience (on project/programme and service management).

Who owns cultural heritage?

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

In this article, my examples will focus only on Europe- anyway, I think that the principles described in the last two sections are universally applicable.
Recently, I was reading some articles about what I could define “a family feud”, as this has been a recurring item on newspapers in Italy.
Admittedly- during the Summer, and mainly in [...]

communicating across the cultural divide

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Over the last two weeks I was able to observe cross-cultural communication without moving more than few km from my place.

And I will never cease to be surprised at one of the few absolutes that still linger inside the mind of even the most open-minded people.

Language.

When we communicate, we do not just listen- our brain tries to anticipate, by using the patterns that we know.

With a foreign interlocutor, the risk is that our brain “puts the coach in front of the horses”- and infers a conclusion where none if forthcoming.

Our natural instinct to predict becomes a damage to our effective communication.

Everyday politics :)

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Aristotle said that, by nature, we are all political animals.

When I wrote in the title “everyday politics” I was not thinking about “professional” politics.

I was simply stating: with the new technologies, that disrupt the usual communication organizations and control, everybody can do a political action. Everyday.

Read below to see how to begin now. Without a budget. Just a brain and a keyboard, and some experience to share.

Changing minds, changing rules

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

If you read my CV or wander around here on my blog, you will probably notice that I worked across many industries.

And not only bottom-line oriented: also non-profit and cultural.

This post is about the difference about changing rules and changing minds, and some potential uses in the political, business, personal environment.

Highlights:
who controls the controller?

first extreme: the consensus-building inserted in a rule-oriented environment

Second extreme: the rule-orientation inserted in consensus-building environment

Weaknesses in training, weaknesses in results

do your new rules consider the organizational cultural environment?

introducing a change in rules requires changing mindsets

step-by-step: “terraforming” for rules change

chickening out

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

thinks somebody are not what they seem to be… and sheer force is no substitute for common sense