If you’re finding that your organization is in a rut and you no longer feel as inspired about its work, it might be useful to look at it in a new way by creating a “word cloud” of key documents, such as a strategic plan, mission and vision statements, interpretive themes, or visitor evaluation. A word cloud is a visual presentation of the most frequently used words, sized by frequency. For example, if you use the word “history” ten times more than “preservation” in your strategic plan, “history” shows up much larger than “preservation” in the word cloud. The word cloud allows you to look at your organization from a different perspective: words jump out at you and prompt questions about what’s being emphasized (and what’s not).
As examples, in the slide show above I’ve assembled word clouds from the first few paragraphs of the About section of the websites (which often includes the mission or vision statements) of the following historic sites:
- Mount Vernon
- Colonial Williamsburg
- Cliveden
- Museum L-A (Lewiston-Auburn)
- Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
- Strawbery Banke
- Historic Deerfield
- Homestead Museum
- Tenement Museum
- President Lincoln’s Cottage
I’ve used word clouds in strategic planning sessions to Continue reading
Engaging Places 