Several years ago, Robert Foster, then an assistant principal in the Newhall School District in California wrote a piece to help explain how a group of diverse elementary school teachers could work as one to improve the education that students were receiving. Bob was kind enough to allow me to take some creative license with his original material and I have rewritten it for business owners to better explain the concept of teamwork and leadership.
The Goal — A group of musicians gathered together for the purpose of playing in harmony to provide beautiful music for an assembled audience. It was a simple goal, easy to describe, understood by all, yet difficult to execute. The desired end result was to sounding like one rich instrument.
The Plan — Each musician had a copy of the plan, in the form of sheet music. The plan was right in front of them, at every practice and during the entire performance.
The Conductor — The symphony needed a leader. The conductor did not play an instrument but he knew what each member of the symphony should be doing. He was in a unique position to help everyone shine in their performance by making sure that they adhered to the plan. The conductor was the accepted and acknowledged leader of the symphony.
The Team — Each member of the symphony had their part to perform. Some were in supportive roles. Some did solo performances. Regardless of the instrument played, all had the same goal. Personalities did not come into play. They were all in alignment with the goal.
The Importance of Practice — Years earlier the conductor had played a musical instrument. He understood that people knew if he had practiced because a poor performance was easy to hear. Knowing this, the conductor scheduled and held practice so that when the performance took place, the team was ready. The conductor knew, as did the musicians, that even professionals need a lot of practice to be at their best.
Being In Tune — It would be very easy for several musicians to drown out their fellow member’s performances. Everyone knew that the percussion or brass could easily drown out an oboe. But by doing so, the oboe’s sound would be lost. The symphony, individually and as a team, understood why it is very hard to distinguish any individual member’s instrument as they played, unless doing a solo.
Supporting One Another — During one piece of music that was performed, the percussionist rang a bell thirteen times. Thirteen rings of a bell was the totality of his contribution to that particular piece of music. It could be argued that the violins and horns worked harder, played longer and were responsible for the majority of the sound that the symphony generated. Yet, every musician knew and accepted that without those thirteen taps on the bell, the music would not have been complete; the music would not have been as beautiful as possible.
Those doing solos needed the support of all the musicians just as the symphony needed those thirteen sounds of the bell. This support helped achieve the excellence they were looking for in their personal performance. Each musician did their part by contributing their skills where and when they were most needed. The team respected every contribution.
Timing — Hearing some sixty musicians start and stop at the same time is a wonder. How do they do it? They do it with practice and the firm direction of the conductor. The symphony needed a capable conductor to insure their timing was perfect.
Mistakes Happen — During the concert, a trumpet player hit a wrong note. Everyone knew the trumpet player was embarrassed. No one stopped; no one chastised him; they could not take the time. The music kept moving; everyone kept playing. The trumpet player recovered and played beautifully for the rest of the performance. He had the support of his fellow musicians.
At the end of the concert, neither the conductor nor any team member acknowledged the mistake. Except for the single mistake, he did a wonderful job and that is what the team concentrated on. The focus was on the successful achievement of the team goal not on mistakes made.
The Applause — Who was the applause for? The audience applauded for the symphony. The conductor took a bow. Each musician took a bow. The applause was for everyone and for each individual. The applause was shared and so was the success.
The Questions — As the owner, are you conducting or playing an instrument with the musicians? Does your version of a symphony have a goal? Does everyone know what the goal is? Is everyone in alignment with the goal? Does everyone know what the plan is? Does everyone have a plan? Is it the same plan or are different plans being used? Have you scheduled enough practice sessions or are you having performances before people are ready? Is everyone supporting one another? When someone makes a mistake, how do you handle it? Who bows for the applause?
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