What qualities do effective companies share?

Barbara Polk believes there’s a key similarity. In a career spanning more than 25 years, she holds experience across a broad range of industries.

“Successful organizations that can sustain all types of business challenges are organizations that have loyal and engaged employees,” Barbara says. “They understand the interdependence of that success with culture and the employee experience. And they know that their most important asset is their employees.”

Barbara currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In that role, she helped the center weather the storms of the past few years. Performance cancellations during the pandemic resulted in significant revenue losses. Staff furloughs, pay cuts and a reduction in force followed.

“Attitudes around our work have changed, and organizations must change in response.”

The Kennedy Center’s size meant it could access pandemic resources other arts and culture organizations could not. Still, “the level of fear was high, and the unknowable future rocked our staff and our leadership,” she says.

Other societal issues, from the renewed fight for racial justice to increasing political polarization, converged at the same time. The collective trauma that resulted transformed employee expectations long term.

“Some also call it ‘COVID clarity,’” Barbara says. “And it means that, for many, our priorities have shifted. Attitudes around our work have changed, and organizations must change in response.”

Barbara shared the Kennedy Center's answer at the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference. In her Denver presentation, she acknowledged that nonprofit pay must be sustainable. Improved work-life balance is also critical.

“In a performing arts setting, constant heroic, reactionary efforts can lead to burnout and reduce job satisfaction,” she says.

New DEAI efforts at the Kennedy Center include book clubs and employee resource groups. Lunchtime yoga, walking programs and tips for managing anxiety underline the importance of health and wellness. Early Release Fridays help staff recharge during summer months.

The Kennedy Center invested in both learning and technology. And the center continues to offer hybrid work schedules where possible.

The goal is to reframe priorities to align with the center’s current needs and future aspirations.

The goal is to reframe priorities to align with the center’s current needs and future aspirations.

“We’re building connection and better understanding of how to intentionally support our employees,” Barbara says.

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Barbara Polk presented this talk as part of Tessitura’s Innovator Series. She spoke at the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference in Denver, Colorado, in August 2022.