HOW CAN I HELP? 

I have been a Leader in the Performing Arts and Higher Education for more than three decades. The top positions that I have held have been both in the United States and the UK. They have provided me with unique international experience in these two different systems of management and support. I enjoy a significant track record of success, which has been achieved through a lifelong passion for the performing arts, a deep commitment to the important place of education in the world, and openness to the power of innovation and new ideas. My skills include fundraising ($250m raised in recent years), managing, negotiating, programming, communicating, teaching, listening, planning and effective implementation and delivery. I am now working as a consultant, teacher, and project manager on an international basis. The Following is a list of services and offerings that would be appropriate to Students, Faculty, Senior Management, and Leadership.

If you are interested in working with Tony, you can contact him at THIS LINK.

 

SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

I. TEACHING

I have a passion for teaching, and for empowering outstanding talent and new leadership. As such I have been engaged by some of the greatest Higher Education Institutions in the world from Yale, the Thornton School at USC, and the Eastman School, to Berklee, New England Conservatory, and the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid. My approach is always interactive, nurturing and encouraging, to guide rather than direct, and to create within the class a safe haven for failure as well as the platform for success.
Programs can be one-day workshops through to full 14- week courses and include:

  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Musical entrepreneurship
  • Networking
  • Leadership
  • Negotiating skills
  • Not for Profit management
  • Communications skills/storytelling
  • Fundraising including crowd funding
  • Career development

 

II. EXECUTIVE MENTORING
(For Presidents and CEOs in Higher Education and the Performing Arts)

This is a highly specialized, confidential and supportive program provided for the most senior position in the organization. It allows this position to have a trusted confidante who has also lived under the same intense pressure and rigorous demands of the top position and understands its rigorous demands. This program offers a regular schedule of one on one meetings based on your priorities and agenda needs.

 

III. MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION

Teams can be great fun and can provide exciting ideas and energy within an organization. They can also be difficult to manage; internal relationships can become frayed or even dysfunctional and individual performances less than optimal. How do you resolve these issues and create a team that is fully in alignment, empowered and performing at the highest level? This program together with the program on Leadership provides the essential foundations for great team building: 

  • Senior team evaluations 
  • Coaching for senior team members
  • Team building, including: delegation, accountability, reporting structure and empowerment 

 

IV. Leadership TECHNIQUES

What is leadership? Can it be taught or is it intuitive? What are its characteristics? This program provides some essential techniques for effective Leadership either in a workshop format or as part of coaching: 

  • Negotiating skills based on Interest Based Bargaining techniques
  • Communications skills and storytelling
  • Managing success and failure
  • EQ
  • Critical thinking
  • Writing skills
  • Consensus building
  • Conflict management

 

V. ProgramminG EVALUATION

This can relate to new academic programs as well as new performing arts programs and projects. It provides a platform for evaluating existing programs and also for discussing and analyzing prototypes by assessing strategic choices in a collaborative environment. It also provides formats for managing major change within an organization from developing new partnerships through to the demands of finding a new Music Director: 

  • Evaluations of existing programs, and creating new programs
  • Education and community engagement 
  • Community partnership development
  • Artistic programming including: season planning, Music Director search, festivals and special projects

 

VI. Planning AND DESIGN

This makes Strategic planning part of Design Thinking using process and inclusivity as the foundations for providing stakeholder involvement and ownership of innovation and new directions. Careful intentional planning of Design Thinking and Process will provide the essential foundations for Organizational alignment allowing the strength of the planning process to support future developments even in difficult times: 

  • Strategic Planning from defining an effective process to implementation
  • The use of Design Thinking, including: building a design Team, Problem solving, Prototyping, Ideation, Ambidextrous and non-linear thinking
  • The creation of the Value Proposition
  • The effective Management of Change
  • Establishing and maintaining Organizational alignment
  • Facilities Planning and Needs Assessment

 

VII. Institutional Development

Securing resources for the day-to-day operations of your organization as well as the special investments you will need for new programs, innovation and capital projects will exercise everyone in the organization from the Board through to Development Team. Institutional Development requires tremendous intentional planning, testing the organization’s readiness to go to the next level, through to the all-important aspects of effective stewardship. This program will take you through the techniques that will maximize success and use resources effectively: 

  • Campaign Planning including: Feasibility Study, Campaign staffing/resourcing, Campaign Management, Prospect Research and Communications Strategy
  • Annual Fund and Annual Gala Planning
  • Marketing and Branding including: Creating the Unique Selling Proposition, Web site development, Social media, Audio Visuals downloads and Communications
  • Stewardship

 

VIII. Governance

This is perhaps the most important area to consider for any organization because Board leadership will govern your success or failure. It is essential to build a strong and effective Board, one that will provide the leadership in terms of expertise, capacity and peer networking. Recruitment and succession planning are part of this process and building relationships with all Board members as well as their effective engagement and ownership of the work and mission: 

  • Board management and engagement
  • Relationship building
  • Working with the Board Chair and the board leadership
  • Succession planning
  • Recruitment techniques and criteria for selection
  • Committee structures
  • Setting expectations
  • Board handbook
  • By-Laws

 

Photos courtesy of Andrew Hurlbut except where noted