Case Study Interview : Agile Museum Management – Zara Matthews, Museum Director, Network Chair, Trustee
This week I had the pleasure of catching up with Zara, Director of the Panacea Museum in Bedford, Chair of the Museum Managers Network in the East of England, and Trustee of the Cromwell Museum, about her experience using Agile in a museum setting.
Zara first encountered Agile through my courses at Arts Council England during the pandemic. Since then, she has embedded simple, practical tools into her day-to-day work to help manage multiple projects, shifting priorities and limited resources.
In this conversation we explore:
• How the post-it note canvas helps organise complex workloads
• Why physical boards and visual tools work so well in museum environments
• Using prioritisation techniques to make clearer decisions
• How Agile supports transitions into new roles
• Managing chaos, change and unexpected challenges
• Why Agile feels lighter and more accessible than traditional frameworks like PRINCE2
• How Agile can support education and time management beyond the workplace
Zara shares how Agile has helped her “unstick” problems, break down large projects into manageable steps and maintain perspective when things feel overwhelming.
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