A few months back I visited a museum in Bath, UK. There were lots of really interesting exhibits, but one that really caught my eye (and perhaps not for the intended reason) was this one:
As you can see, the cabinet is absolutely brimming with glass objects, arranged by colour. This strikes me as a really odd decision; a rather strange “organising principle” to use when laying glass out in a museum.
When the glass is organised only by colour, visitors have no idea whether some are older than others, whether some are more historically significant, or whether they are all somehow equivalent. If there is one “masterpiece” in there, I would very likely miss it.
Seeing this reminded me of the importance of curation — and how good curation (and good curators) are largely invisible. Think about the best museum or gallery that you’ve been to… I bet you can’t name any of the curators. Yet the fact that you enjoyed it so much suggests they were doing a fantastic job.
Curation Is for More Than Museums
As I browsed the bizarre coloured glass display, it made me think about how curation applies more broadly. Creators often get kudos for their creations, but the people who provide the space and structure for those creations tend to be less visible. And because they are less visible, there’s a danger that this role gets forgotten, overlooked or undervalued.
This still sounds a bit abstract, so let me pose two specific scenarios (one of which is BA-related, I promise!)
- Social media: Your (and my) social media feeds are “curated” by large, profit-making companies. As individuals, we likely have only partial control over what we do or don’t see. Have we slipped into a place where convenience has led us to defer curation too far away from our own interests?
- BAs as organisational curators: In a way, don’t BAs act as organisational connectors and curators? We bring together (often competing) perspectives, compare and contrast them, channel that into artefacts that help enable change. The change and the outcomes achieved aren’t “owned” by us. The instigators (or “creators”) of change are elsewhere, and they’ll likely take the credit if it goes well (or the flak if it doesn’t). But the connection and curation of ideas is central.
In both examples, if you remove careful and ethical curation, the outcomes achieved change… and I’d argue, not for the better.
So perhaps it’s time we celebrate those who quietly curate just as much as those who create.
Who are the quiet curators in your world?
What are your views? Please add a comment below, and let’s keep the conversation flowing!
If you’ve enjoyed this article don’t forget to follow me on LinkedIn and check out BA Digest, the quarterly BA magazine.
About the author:
Adrian Reed is Principal Consultant at Blackmetric Business Solutions, an organisation that offers Business Analysis consulting and training solutions. Adrian is a keen advocate of the analysis profession, and is constantly looking for ways of promoting the value that good analysis can bring.
To find out more about the training and consulting services offered at Blackmetric, please visit www.blackmetric.com
© Blackmetric Business Solutions, published exclusively on www.adrianreed.co.uk. May not be republished on any other site without permission.