--- title: "Challenges in Owning Your Public Perception" id: "36536" type: "post" slug: "challenges-in-owning-your-public-perception" published_at: "2017-01-18T21:55:54+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T18:22:54+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/18/challenges-in-owning-your-public-perception/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/01/18/challenges-in-owning-your-public-perception.md" excerpt: "Your organization may take great strides to influence how you’re seen by the public, but the market may have other ideas. Also: How your organization can set the stage for innovation." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Communications" - "Leadership" - "museum" - "Public Perception" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Challenges in Owning Your Public Perception In this politically charged time, the Saint Louis Art Museum has come under fire for lending one its paintings for use during President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The controversy has caused [Colleen Dilenschneider of Know Your Own Bone (opens in a new tab)](http://colleendilen.com/2017/01/18/how-imaginary-lines-drawn-by-cultural-organizations-hold-them-back/) , a resource for museums and cultural centers, to ask this important question: “Can an organization in today’s world (a world that increasingly values transparency, connectivity, and blurs traditional personal/professional lines) claim to not be held accountable for taking a position, while taking an action that supports a position?” The museum has said that the decision to allow the painting to be used was nonpartisan and that it was simply honoring a pre-election commitment to a bipartisan congressional committee. But Dilenschneider notes, “Though it may make good, intellectual sense that the museum has made such a nonpartisan statement, the statement on the action may matter less to the public than the action itself.” Read [more of her thoughts (opens in a new tab)](http://colleendilen.com/2017/01/18/how-imaginary-lines-drawn-by-cultural-organizations-hold-them-back/) on the difficulties of owning public perception in a rapidly changing world. ### Sparking Innovations > Innovation: The 5-Step Process [#AssnChat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssnChat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#AssnSuccess (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssnSuccess?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/ghgJm317zK (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/ghgJm317zK) > > — ESSAE (@EmpireStateSAE) [January 18, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/EmpireStateSAE/status/821728789394767873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) How does your association come up with new ideas? Writing for *Association Success*, Smooth the Path’s Amanda Kaiser walks us through the five-step process many associations use to come up with innovative programs. Try following them to help [foster inventiveness in your organization (opens in a new tab)](http://www.associationsuccess.org/article/innovation-the-5-step-process) . ### Other links of note **Japan to dumb down high-tech toilets:** The Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association wants to [standardize the messaging on its high-tech toilet seats (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wsj.com/articles/loos-you-can-use-japan-to-simplify-toilets-1484739057) “to avoid bafflement among foreign tourists.” **Goals for millennials:** *Inc.* provides [five employee goals (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/5-goals-to-set-with-your-millennial-team-this-year.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter) to help you guide your millennial teams this year. **When it comes to data science, do you lead or lag behind?** *Forbes* [provides insights from new Forrester research (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/01/18/is-your-organization-a-data-science-leader-or-laggard/#d4e0d4623c04) that calls out three types of groups from a data science perspective: “Insight Leaders,” “The Pack,” and “Laggards.” (iStock/Thinkstock) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#museum](https://associationsnow.com/tag/museum/) [#Public Perception](https://associationsnow.com/tag/public-perception/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. Attend MMC+T 2025!April 2, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/02/the-future-is-yours-to-create-attend-mmct-2025/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F01%2F18%2Fchallenges-in-owning-your-public-perception%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !