[Bcma-l] Museum Worker Task Saturation

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:26:33 -0700

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Do any of the following strike a chord with you?

Do you feel overworked-not enough time, tools, or resources to =
accomplish your goals?

Do you feel like your museum work life is totally saturated with tasks?

Do you feel that expectations of your performance continue to rise =
exponentially without any counterbalancing increases in support?=20

Do you feel like a fully loaded camel standing in a continuous rain of =
straws?

If any of the above apply to you, it is time to take action in order to =
preserve your own physical, mental, and spiritual health-not to mention =
ensuring the mission of your institution actually can be carried out =
effectively.=20

A preliminary step aimed at identifying workable solutions for =
overworked museum volunteers and paid employees was taken at last year's =
British Columbia Museums Association Annual Conference in Prince George. =
A small group of museum workers met to start sharing strategies for =
solving the problems of ever-increasing expectations and resulting task =
saturation in the museum world.

This preliminary list of strategies as well as other resources are now =
on-line for anyone to read on the Museum Worker Task Saturation Group =
web site at =
http://groups.google.com/group/museum_task_saturation?hl=3Den =
<javascript:ol('http://groups.google.com/group/museum_task_saturation?hl=3D=
en');> =20

You are encouraged to consult this site to find workable solutions to =
your own difficulties with overwork.=20

Just as importantly, please add other suggestions to this nascent list =
of ideas so that your colleagues can benefit from your successful =
experience. Much more could and should be added to this initial attempt =
at identifying solutions to the current stressful situation in which =
many museum workers find ourselves.

Of course, this is "one more thing to do!" However-fully loaded camels =
that we already are-unless museum workers start to take action to solve =
our own problem of overwork, we simply will find ourselves accepting one =
more increased expectation after another until a "last straw" finally =
crushes us.

Paul C. Thistle

paul_thistle@hotmail.com <mailto:paul_thistle@hotmail.com> =20

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<BODY>=0A=
<P>Do any of the following strike a chord with you?</P><B>=0A=
<P>Do you feel overworked&#8211;not enough time, tools, or resources to =
accomplish your goals?</P>=0A=
<P>Do you feel like your museum work life is totally saturated with =
tasks?</P>=0A=
<P>Do you feel that expectations of your performance continue to rise =
exponentially without any counterbalancing increases in support? </P>=0A=
<P>Do you feel like a fully loaded camel standing in a continuous rain =
of straws?</P></B>=0A=
<P>If any of the above apply to you, it is time to take action in order =
to preserve your own physical, mental, and spiritual health&#8211;not to =
mention ensuring the mission of your institution actually can be carried =
out effectively. </P>=0A=
<P>A preliminary step aimed at identifying workable solutions for =
overworked museum volunteers and paid employees was taken at last year's =
British Columbia Museums Association Annual Conference in Prince George. =
A small group of museum workers met to start sharing strategies for =
solving the problems of ever-increasing expectations and resulting task =
saturation in the museum world.</P>=0A=
<P>This preliminary list of strategies as well as other resources are =
now on-line for anyone to read on the Museum Worker Task Saturation =
Group web site at <A =
href=3D"javascript:ol('http://groups.google.com/group/museum_task_saturat=
ion?hl=3Den');"><U><FONT =
color=3D#0000ff>http://groups.google.com/group/museum_task_saturation?hl=3D=
en</U></FONT></A> </P>=0A=
<P>You are encouraged to consult this site to find workable solutions to =
your own difficulties with overwork. </P>=0A=
<P>Just as importantly, <B>please add other suggestions</B> to this =
nascent list of ideas so that your colleagues can benefit from your =
successful experience. Much more could and should be added to this =
initial attempt at identifying solutions to the current stressful =
situation in which many museum workers find ourselves.</P>=0A=
<P>Of course, this is "one more thing to do!" However&#8211;fully loaded =
camels that we already are&#8211;unless museum workers start to take =
action to solve our own problem of overwork, we simply will find =
ourselves accepting one more increased expectation after another until a =
"last straw" finally crushes us.</P>=0A=
<P>Paul C. Thistle</P>=0A=
<P><A href=3D"mailto:paul_thistle@hotmail.com"><U><FONT =
color=3D#0000ff>paul_thistle@hotmail.com</U></FONT></A> =
</P></BODY></HTML>
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