And Another Thing – Page 2 – LARSEN

And another thing: illegal online board meetings

Thanks to the pandemic, we are all very familiar with board meetings that take place partly or entirely online. Doing so is a great way to make meetings more accessible or to expand your pool of potential board members.

But did you know that many organisations that hold online meetings are technically breaking the law?

And another thing: model (rule) minimums

When it comes to governance, what is the difference between what’s recommended and what is actually required?

And another thing: Strategic Plans vs strategic planning

When arts orgs and boards don’t know the difference between Strategic Plans and strategic planning, they risk focusing on self-perpetuation over purpose.

And another thing: from censorship to systemic change

Over the past 21 months, we’ve seen dozens of Australian arts and cultural organisations censor and silence the very artists and practitioners they rely upon for their work.

And another thing: AI and governance

Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT or Meta’s Llama 3 may seem like they’re free to the end user, but they always, always come at a price.

After last month’s mega Meta rant, my latest ‘and another thing’ vlog is an attempt at a quick(er) overview of some of the challenges with Generative AI that are causing real, practical and ethical concerns for boards and organisations, as well as the people who work within them, and the communities they represent and serve.

And another thing: Meta’s Grand Theft AusLit

Like many others, we were dismayed to learn that mega-corporation Meta has stolen the work of thousands of Australian creators to train the Large Language Model for its flagship AI, Llama 3, without permission, license or compensation – including both editions of The Relationship is the Project.

And another thing: receiving and responding to harm

When boards and orgs don’t provide the accountability each other needs, it may fall on us to do so.

And another thing: the merit of merit

I’m spending February with my family on Gabrielino-Tongva-Kitz Lands just outside Los Angeles – which feels like a very different place since the last time I was here.

With everything going on, it seemed like an opportune moment to reflect on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and the alleged merit of merit-based board and staff recruitment and quotas.

And another thing: succession planning

I’m starting the new year with a lesson from the corporate world about leadership succession planning (yet another thing the arts, cultural and for-purpose sector is notoriously bad at).

And another thing: our cultural workforce crisis

For those living (or leaving) the national cultural workforce crisis currently being experienced – deeply and distinctively – across Australia’s arts, cultural and for-purpose organisations and sectors, the language of ‘crisis’ isn’t hyperbole, nor something that’s up for debate.

But the last few weeks have reminded me that there are some gaps in this understanding – unfortunately (though not unsurprisingly) from some of the people with the most power to affect change, including board members who aren’t meeting either their fiduciary duties or their duty of care.