We love ambitious people, and we want more people to push themselves in pursuit of their perfect next role. That perfect next role could also be (and I would argue: should be) a stretch. When sizing up possible next moves, I want to share a framework that I often share with job seekers, mentees, and students: Count Your Leaps.

Effective immediately, Tom O’Connor Consulting Group will only conduct searches on behalf of clients who agree to disclose either a salary range or salary estimate within the job description/position profile. This is in accordance with our standards and values with regard to equity, and we also simply believe it is a practice that bestows the respect that candidates and job-seekers deserve.

Transformation doesn’t occur through a new logo, a new piece of technology, or one new hire. These are parts of a system that move together, and this is a time for forward movement.

Let’s talk about a few ideas for how you can support new additions to your team in this time, and how we can increase the chances that they will have longevity, impact, higher quality of work life, and a chance to find their voice within your company.

Over the past year, arts marketing as a discipline has weathered as many changes as the industry we support. From the work that we do, to the roles that we occupy within organizations, and the ways that we relate to one another—everything is in the process of evolution right now.

While recently working on a project with Cory Garfin from Slover Linett Audience Research, we connected on our shared perspective that the arts and culture fields could use more social work knowledge and perspective.

It may not be easy, but it’s amazing what people—namely you—are achieving from home right now. Regardless of the medium, we are working every day to help organizations navigate these turbulent times, and come out stronger on the other side.

For those of us who work in the arts, I’d guess that a large percentage of us hold our work as a large part of our identity. When it comes to our audience members, regardless of how often they come, their participation is likely a considerable part of theirs.

The most resilient and effective organizations are led by those with an understanding of systems thinking and organizational behavior, all with the goal of supporting a team to continue learning, adapting, and delivering.

Our entire world is in the midst of a profound traumatic experience. A return to any semblance of normalcy (and relevance) for the arts and culture fields will require facing and integrating that trauma head-on.

In the span of a month, the definition of what the marketing team does at this organization has completely changed. Sound familiar? When the whole system transforms on us in an instant, it takes a moment to step back and see the path forward. We can’t always do this on our own.

When it comes to recruiting senior marketing roles at arts organizations, I encounter two extremes of thought. I take issue with both of these positions for the same reason that I take issue with all false choices.