By Tony Samson
THE ORCHESTRA has been employed often as paradigm for the effectiveness of organizations, including of course a performing group of musicians.
The similarities that justify using the metaphor of the orchestra for the effectiveness of an organization involve the need for coordination and performance levels for the harmonious rendition of the plan (or musical score). Corporate planning sessions, also called VVM (for Vision, Values, and Mission) point to effectively combining the different instruments and sounds (including whining, moaning, and sobbing) that emanate from different parts of the organization. In the conglomerate structure, there is the addition of distance, disparity of goals, and unusual instruments (like the nose flute) to contend with.
Here are some orchestral issues that organizations contend with:
The extremely talented cellist doesn’t follow instructions and seems to play solo all the time. She doesn’t follow the conductor’s instruction for a pianissimo rendition to let the first violin take the lead. The egregious talent is usually accompanied by a bad attitude and a prima donna sense of entitlement and short fuse. Should such a talent be wasted in an orchestra, or is she best when playing solo (the theme from Sophie’s Choice) with the rest taking an accompanying role? Isn’t such a difficult but highly accomplished talent worth keeping… from the competition?
What about musicians who play below par? They don’t meet their targets because they don’t rehearse or simply lack the talent. Can an orchestra afford to keep them? As Maria Callas, the great diva and exemplar of the prima donna tantrum-thrower, once noted about the quality of performance — the first drop in quality, like gliding up to the high notes is noticed first by the artist herself. The second level of deterioration may be picked up by the conductor. The lowest level is noted by the audience itself. A consistent below-par performance for even a sought-after soprano means it’s time to get off the stage and just teach. Master Class, the play (1995) on Maria Callas as mentor explores this theme.
Discordant notes that spoil a performance include not meeting timelines, skipping rehearsals, failing to master the material, and, of course, the mismatch of talent and the assigned role in the ensemble. (Maybe, she should try the harp.)
What about the conductor himself? Shouldn’t the leader (or facilitator) be subject to criticism as well? If an orchestra is not performing well (or missing its targets too long) some blame must fall on the conductor. Isn’t this why conductors are celebrated for having great orchestras under them? After all, they have a hand in picking the talents to hire as well as the music that suits them.
The orchestra needs to work together to play one piece. The corporate expression is clear in establishing the way to a successful performance — are we on the same page?
Orchestras, or bands, need to decide which niches to cater to. Rock bands can be as successful as symphony orchestras, and can make more money, even with a smaller audience, usually on their feet and screaming.
The orchestra paradigm for business organizations has much to offer. Nurturing and building a team to achieve goals, using the disparate talents and the strong egos of individuals, is an intriguing challenge.
Maybe the orchestra idea only applies to large companies with many moving roles. The small entrepreneurs like the caterer, couturier, and event planner hew closer to the solo performer who can improvise in a karaoke setting of uneven quality.
In both types of organizations, large or small, the critical question to ask of a new member is simple — what value do you bring to the enterprise? What instrument do you play, and play at an acceptable level of virtuosity? (We already have a good cymbalist.)
For orchestras, as well as corporations, the final test of a performance, whether harmonious or discordant (some pieces call for atonal renditions), is marketability. It is still the paying audience that determines the success of the organization.
Musicians, like their corporate counterparts, can have a hard time switching jobs even as a freelancer in a pick-up band. Not every orchestra has an opening for a cymbalist… even when he brings his own instrument.
Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda.
