From the Director, June 2022
Updated Jul 20, 2022
Reflecting and looking forward
Over the last several years the DIA team has worked diligently and in partnership with Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland counties to serve our regional and national audiences under the guidance of our 2016 strategic plan. We have all accomplished a lot during this time and some highlights of this work include renewing our tri-county millage (2023-2032), creating relevant exhibition and education programs that have broadened our audiences as we strive to reflect the communities that we serve, bringing the DIA into the best financial position of its history, and making good progress in diversifying our board and building a strong workplace culture so that we can enlist the best talent to achieve the museum’s mission and be a highly performing institution, among so many others.
As we reflect on these accomplishments, express gratitude for the opportunities given, and acknowledge the new times in which we live, it is time to think about the role the DIA will play for the next several years as we continue to serve our visitors, reach new audiences and help improve the society in which we live. Since the beginning of the year, the DIA staff, the board, and members of our communities have been working together to help define the DIA’s strategic direction for the next three to five years. Boston Consulting Group has generously facilitated this process, collecting input from more than 300 individuals through direct conversations and a variety of surveys. Many hours of research and rich conversations revealed crucial information that we discussed with internal and external stakeholders, helping identify six areas of work for the museum moving forward:
- Create an extraordinary experience for every DIA visitor, onsite, online, and in the community
- Continue to foster a sense of belonging for our team, visitors, and tri-county communities based on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in all museum activities
- Cultivate a collaborative, inclusive, and equitable workplace culture to attract, develop, and retain a high-performing team
- Develop education, exhibition and public programs and steward our art collection to uplift and reflect the diversity of cultures and human experiences, raising the world-class profile of the DIA
- Secure financial stability and support creativity for current and future generations by growing the DIA’s endowment
- Build digital capabilities that enable efficient teamwork and inspire our onsite and online audiences
On May 18, the DIA’s board of directors approved these six goals that will guide the work of the museum from 2022-2027. During the next six to eight weeks the DIA team will be identifying strategies to achieve each goal, the resources needed to support them, and the key performance indicators (KPIs) required to monitor our progress as we work toward success.
At our August Board meeting, we will present a full strategic plan that will include an introduction to the recent history of the museum, an explanation of a strategic plan and its purpose for an organization, an overview of the process we followed to establish the six goals, the DIA’s vision and mission, the DIA’s values as approved by the staff and board last year, and the six goals and the strategies identified to achieve them.
We accomplished and learned so much with our 2016 strategic plan, which made us as a source of education and inspiration for our community, establishing the DIA as more than a museum. Building on our past experiences, I am excited about our next chapter as we become the best DIA we can possibly be for you, all our communities, our team and board.
DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons pictured wearing a blue suit and standing in front of the museum
Reflecting and looking forward
Over the last several years the DIA team has worked diligently and in partnership with Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland counties to serve our regional and national audiences under the guidance of our 2016 strategic plan. We have all accomplished a lot during this time and some highlights of this work include renewing our tri-county millage (2023-2032), creating relevant exhibition and education programs that have broadened our audiences as we strive to reflect the communities that we serve, bringing the DIA into the best financial position of its history, and making good progress in diversifying our board and building a strong workplace culture so that we can enlist the best talent to achieve the museum’s mission and be a highly performing institution, among so many others.
As we reflect on these accomplishments, express gratitude for the opportunities given, and acknowledge the new times in which we live, it is time to think about the role the DIA will play for the next several years as we continue to serve our visitors, reach new audiences and help improve the society in which we live. Since the beginning of the year, the DIA staff, the board, and members of our communities have been working together to help define the DIA’s strategic direction for the next three to five years. Boston Consulting Group has generously facilitated this process, collecting input from more than 300 individuals through direct conversations and a variety of surveys. Many hours of research and rich conversations revealed crucial information that we discussed with internal and external stakeholders, helping identify six areas of work for the museum moving forward:
- Create an extraordinary experience for every DIA visitor, onsite, online, and in the community
- Continue to foster a sense of belonging for our team, visitors, and tri-county communities based on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in all museum activities
- Cultivate a collaborative, inclusive, and equitable workplace culture to attract, develop, and retain a high-performing team
- Develop education, exhibition and public programs and steward our art collection to uplift and reflect the diversity of cultures and human experiences, raising the world-class profile of the DIA
- Secure financial stability and support creativity for current and future generations by growing the DIA’s endowment
- Build digital capabilities that enable efficient teamwork and inspire our onsite and online audiences
On May 18, the DIA’s board of directors approved these six goals that will guide the work of the museum from 2022-2027. During the next six to eight weeks the DIA team will be identifying strategies to achieve each goal, the resources needed to support them, and the key performance indicators (KPIs) required to monitor our progress as we work toward success.
At our August Board meeting, we will present a full strategic plan that will include an introduction to the recent history of the museum, an explanation of a strategic plan and its purpose for an organization, an overview of the process we followed to establish the six goals, the DIA’s vision and mission, the DIA’s values as approved by the staff and board last year, and the six goals and the strategies identified to achieve them.
We accomplished and learned so much with our 2016 strategic plan, which made us as a source of education and inspiration for our community, establishing the DIA as more than a museum. Building on our past experiences, I am excited about our next chapter as we become the best DIA we can possibly be for you, all our communities, our team and board.
