The art of curating attention

Do you know why the Australian Museum in Sydney holds over 22 million specimens and cultural objects, but less than 1% is on display at any one time?

Because their goal isn’t to show everything. It's to earn attention.

To give just enough for visitors to understand and care about something.

Museums use curation to grab our attention and create a connection.

When we talk about big challenges with colleagues, in presentations and in strategy sessions, we often do the opposite.

We dump everything we know. Every fact. Every thread. Every detail.

Because we want to share how much we've learned. But when we do, people switch off.

The art in getting attention is in curation. Knowing what to leave out so the important parts can shine and create the impact we're looking for.

Next time you share a challenge with others, ask yourself: What’s the one thing they need to understand, feel, or act on? Will this get their attention? Then, start there. Maybe even end there.

Because attention isn’t earned by volume, it’s earned by relevance. Museum curators are masters at this.