Today we’re highlighting one of the most upvoted comments in a recent r/museumpros thread that asked, “What’s a pet peeve specifically related to your museum?”
Leadership that asks for communication and feedback and then gets angry when they receive anything critical.
(Source: SnooChipmunks2430, Reddit)
How unfortunate that so many people identify with that response. To be fair, this type of problem isn’t limited to museums, but it remains a particularly sinister one. Ultimately, a museum that can’t listen to its own people will struggle to connect with its visitors, too.
Why does this happen?
Is it fragile egos? Power dynamics between curators, conservators, educators, and administrators? Dwindling bandwidth? All of the above? Museums are interesting workplaces. This is a passion-driven field that’s chronically underfunded, operating within a hierarchical system. People at the top have usually been there for a while and have built their reputations on major expertise. That can actually be where some of the trouble starts.
Directors, curators, and senior management have spent decades navigating bureaucracy and fighting for funding. They’ve got advanced degrees and skins on the wall. Even when shared earnestly, critiques from junior staff or frontline workers may feel like a credibility attack. It’s so easy to fall into the psychological trap of taking feedback personally, hearing you’re not doing a good job instead of we want to make this better.
And it must be mentioned: Museum employees at all levels are often underpaid and overworked. Upper management is juggling financial crises, donor expectations, board politics, external scrutiny, staffing shortages, and uncertainties of all kinds, especially right now. When critical feedback comes in, leaders may lash out or ignore, not because they disagree, but because they don’t have the capacity to fix things (and aren’t being transparent about it). That doesn’t make it right, of course.
But what can be done? Here are a few smart strategies for dealing with feedback issues — practical and psychological tips for both leadership and staff.
For leadership:
- Avoid at all costs feedback sessions that are merely for optics. If you don’t plan to act, don’t ask for input. Performative listening is not the move.
- A basic interpersonal relationship principle that’s often ignored: When receiving feedback of a critical nature, take a beat before you respond. Is your reaction about the content of the critique, or about how uncomfortable it makes you feel? An ego check is always prudent. Instead of jumping to defensiveness, opt for an exploratory “tell me more about why you see it that way.”
- Make it clear that staff can feel confident in speaking up, and that it won’t result in retaliation (overt or subtle).
- In efforts to avoid performative listening, your team should see tangible follow-up when they’re being asked for input, whether that’s implementing real changes or at least transparently explaining why a particular issue can’t be addressed at the moment.
- Above all, recognize that disagreement ≠ disloyalty. View feedback as a sign that your team is invested. If they didn’t care, they truly wouldn’t bother speaking up. Institutions grow through internal debate and external adaptation.
For staff:
- Connecting your feedback to mission or institutional concerns can be more productive than feedback perceived to stem from personal frustration. How does your issue affect visitor experience, funding, long-term sustainability, the museum’s reputation? Basic example: Instead of “this isn’t fair to our team,” frame it as “this affects our ability to engage the public effectively” or “this policy is impacting staff retention.”
- As you channel Ben Franklin’s diplomacy skills, understand the power of picking your moments. Some conversations land better in one-on-one settings than in a group meeting.
- If you see a pattern of leadership reacting poorly to feedback, be cautious. Jot down records to keep track of progress or lack thereof. It will give you data points when deciding your next steps: Should you harness the power of the collective and try for a united front with other team members or departments? Or does there appear to be an insurmountable systemic problem at play? (see next point)
- When an institution consistently devalues staff feedback, there may be a limit to what you can achieve. Worst case, you have to consider whether your energy is better spent elsewhere.
Museums are about learning, reflecting, growing, and inspiring new ways of thinking. You’ve got to be able to do the same within your own walls.
