A few weeks ago, the American Musicological Society invited me to lead a workshop for Musicology PhD students interested in careers beyond the academy.
In light of the dire budget cuts to higher education research and unprecedented attacks on science and academic freedom emanating from the current presidential administration, this is a truly tough time for newly minted PhDs.
I have a PhD in Music History and braved the academic job market during the 2008–9 financial crisis before changing professional direction. I have nothing but empathy for humanities PhDs seeking employment today, and I love helping them discover ways to take their graduate training in new directions.
Most of the workshop focused on identifying and describing the kinds of transferrable skills that employers value: communication, synthesizing complex information, project management, teaching, and so on.
Yet the longer I’m away from my PhD, the more I appreciate how my graduate work didn’t simply provide me with these transferrable skills: it has profoundly shaped how I approach my work now, whether it’s with paid consulting clients, community volunteer commitments, or political advocacy.
In this week’s newsletter, I’ll describe how thinking like a historian can offer fresh insights and new perspectives on the challenges you or your organization might be facing today.
Think in multiple timeframes
As a music historian, much of my work involved examining music in its broader historical context. I learned to be comfortable shifting between different time frames—a decade, a generation, or a century. Each temporal view offered a different perspective on the significance of an individual composition or musical event.
Today, when faced with an organizational challenge, my instinct is to view it on different time scales, zooming in and out, forwards and backwards, to better understand the situation at hand.
Here are four questions I use to guide this process:
1. What past actions or circumstances brought us to this point today?
Is this challenge the result of intentional decisions, or inaction and neglect? How did political, social, or economic trends beyond your sphere of control contribute to the situation?
2. What are the costs and benefits to waiting?
Today, institutions that long considered themselves insulated from broader political, economic, and social forces are now realizing how vulnerable they are to the seismic changes taking place in the United States and across the globe. Given the rapid rate of change, today’s actions could be rendered moot by tomorrow’s court decisions or budget bill. Before acting, consider whether it makes sense to wait, or whether the circumstances require immediate action.
3. Do we need a short-term workaround, a robust long-term solution, or both?
As long as you are honest about your needs, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. The main trap lies in mistaking one type of solution for the other: accepting an imperfect stopgap as the new status quo, or investing significant resources to create the perfect temporary band-aid.
4. How will I view this situation in a year? In 5 years? When I retire?
Problems and solutions take on new meanings over time. A major obstacle may prove to be a blip on the screen; a relatively small action can later prove consequential. While it’s not always possible to predict what the future holds, take time to reflect on the present from the vantage point of your future self. You may find yourself worrying less about the day-to-day and better able to focus on high-impact solutions.
The historian’s advantage
In a world obsessed with the latest trends, quick fixes, and data-driven solutions, historical perspective offers something rare: the ability to see beyond the immediate crisis to understand deeper patterns and seek hope in future possibilities.
The challenges facing your organization today may feel unprecedented, but taking the long view can help you respond with wisdom and confidence. And as always, I’m here to help.