The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: plaza project, artistic leaders, dance organization, Opera House, Kennedy Center, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a valuable management resource; arts administrators could do worse than emulate Kaiser's work ethic, boldness of vision and ability to learn from mistakes. Those interested in keeping America's arts institutions vital ignore his insights at their peril." --Opera News

"To some, there may be a touch of irony: the man who presided over some of the Royal Opera House's darkest hours has produced a self-help book aimed at pulling failing arts organisations out of trouble. Michael Kaiser's The Art of the Turnaround offers 10 basic rules on how to save failing arts organisations, some of which were learned the hard way in London." --The Guardian (London)

"Kaiser presents a ten-step . . . program to save or revive struggling arts organizations. The author's program is . . . practical, and he follows it with a series of case studies in which he works his magic over and over again. . . . He offers . . . interesting anecdotes, and the portrayal of the logistics of traveling shows deserves particular mention . . ." --Choice

Review

"Michael Kaiser has a unique combination of artistic vision and executive talent that makes him one of the most capable leaders in the performing arts. This book tells the story of his impressive leadership. As my brother said in 1960, "The New Frontier for which I campaign in public life can also be a New Frontier for American art," and he'd be very proud of all that Michael Kaiser has accomplished." (Senator Edward M. Kennedy )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: Brandeis; First Edition, 2nd printing edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584657359
• ISBN-13: 978-1584657354
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #19 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Performing Arts
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Practical. Very Inspiring., October 20, 2008

By	Don Eitel "Managing Director, Mu Performing Arts" (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Michael Kaiser has a great reputation for being an arts administrator and for being an effective leader during troubling times. This book takes you through his process and philosophy for turning companies around. The points he makes and his ideas are very practical. I found myself writing down notes and ideas on how I could apply them to our own company. The meat of the book is his case studies, in which he takes you through five organizations he has worked for and what he did to turn the company around. This is the best book I have read on administration in the arts. Mainly because it isn't academic and gives you applicable ideas the moment you start reading.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Short on Turn, Long on Around, April 25, 2009

By	Lawrence D. Devoe "OperaDoc" (Augusta,GA,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a former arts organization executive officer and board member, I purchased this book based on its excellent reviews in several magazines and internet sites. I would agree that its anecdotal approach makes it quite readable. For those who are really interested in taking on the heavy lifting of sustaining or resurrecting performing arts companies, it lists most of the rudimentary issues that must be addressed. However, Mr. Kaiser offers more charming anecdotes than bedrock substance. Granted a standard text on the "how-to" of arts management is very dry reading (I already have a few of these). What would have made this book more valuable to more serious readers is at least one technical chapter (possibly as an appendix) that anatomizes the process of creating and supporting a successful arts company. Perhaps Mr. Kaiser will consider doing this in a second edition.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of the Turnaround by Michael M. Kaiser, December 26, 2008

By	Tess Samuel (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The remarkable thing about this book - to one who ploughs through a few of them - is that it is readable! Most books on any aspect of fundraising are prescriptive, bulleted to death, and lend themselves readily to Power Point presentations. Can I be more abusive of the genre than that?

Mr. Kaiser's book makes none of these mistakes. Instead he gives you a superb distillation of his experience in a neat package - up front. Busy managers and other important folk need read no further. They would be idiots if they did not since the bulk of the book is a series of "cases" - tales - about the experiences that led Mr. Kaiser to his list of essentials of charity management.

He calls it "turnaround". And I'm sure the principles apply very well to any turnarounds you might be planning. But the real reason for persisting with this book is that its applications are much broader than that.

It's a great guide for any ED struggling with his or her board - and there are many insights that you can relate to those struggles and principles you can adhere to that will serve you well.

It's a brilliant training tool for anyone who wants to teach fundraising in most of its varied aspects - how do you present the organization to prospective or past donors as a viable entity they should be thrilled to support? ("invest in" if you want the current parlance.) How do you identify and know these donors? How do you sustain relations with these donors? And how in the long term do you turn these donors into the bedrock of your charity?

Working through Mr. Kaiser's cases with students, and even practised fundraisers, would be a stirring way to energize, or re-energize, your fundraising staff.

What is missing in the book is the "answers" to questions like those I have proposed for the fundraisers in your stable. Mr. Kaiser spins a great yarn, but is short on analysis. He fails to show how he distilled his 10 rules from his experience, and that would be a fascinating path to follow. But this can be a plus or a minus depending on how you use the book; and of course depending on how astute you are.

Whether or not you intend to use the work in an applied way or just enjoy it as the very good read it is, I highly recommend it. Mr. Kaiser reveals his disasters as well as his successes and this makes for a very human narrative. And - have I mentioned this yet? - he is a superb writer, so you will be laughing (and wincing) as you learn.

Tess Samuel, Senior Development Officer, SickKids Foundation