Page 5 - Volume 40-Number 02 02-28-17

Good to Great for Historic Theatres

By Craig Sumberg, Executive Director, Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation

I’m a huge fan of just about every book Jim Collins has written, and I recommend you read them
all (Good to Great, Great By Choice, Built to Last, etc.). This essay captures some of his wisdom as
it might apply to running a historic theatre. According to Jim Collins, the fundamental question we
all have to ask ourselves is: “Do we want to build a great company, and are we willing to do what it
takes to do so?”

“Good is the enemy of the Great” and greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance, but
rather of conscious choice AND discipline. Most businesses, including non-profit businesses, are
average (maybe a little below average, maybe a little above…). In order to build a great institution,
the key is to create a “culture of discipline” (people, thought, action), along with an “ethic of
entrepreneurship.”

A great organization is one that delivers superior performance and makes a distinctive impact over
a long period of time. The only way to see if you are headed in the right direction is to track your
progress by rigorously assembling evidence--quantitative or qualitative—while keeping in mind that
“all indicators are flawed” (but don’t let that stop you from tracking!).
Settle on a “consistent and intelligent method of assessing your results, and then tracking your
trajectory with rigor.” At the Fox Tucson Theatre, we are tracking: percentage of profitable live
shows, net profit on live shows, attendance, number of rentals and rental revenue, movie revenue,
concessions and merch, and everyone’s favorite, fundraising!
The trick is to find ways to track progress towards goals that are sometimes subjective. Take, for
example, Tom Morris, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Symphony. The Symphony’s goal
was to become “one of the three greatest orchestras in the world.” To assess their progress toward
this goal, they looked at whether they were getting more standing ovations each season, whether
they were invited to the most prestigious festivals, and were their tickets in greater demand (both in
Cleveland and around the world)?
(Continued on next page.)

Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson, AZ

Winter 2017 INLEAGUE | PAGE 3