You’d have thought I’d have flogged the “theatre direction = leading” analogy to death by now, but it was given another lease of life last week, when I was asked to speak to the off-site gathering of a team about what theatre can teach us about teamwork. I distilled my thoughts about it into 10 lessons, which I share here for when I next want to refer to them!
Lesson 1 – Everyone is important
The highest paid, most accomplished actor won’t achieve much if the lights aren’t on, or the costumes haven’t been made. Theatre is incredibly collaborative and the team hums when everyone recognises everyone else’s contribution.
Lesson 2 – Teams need to be adaptable
Maybe this is more true of amateur than professional theatre, but we swap roles a lot, sometimes even in the same productions. For the one I have just finished, I was the director, and then became part of the tech crew, answerable to the stage manager. Having the flexibility to jump in and do what your new role requires, while leaving behind the previous role, is crucial.
Lesson 3 – We’re working towards a common goal
The adaptability is important because at the end of the day, we know what we’re trying to achieve together – put up a show that people come and see and is good enough that they enjoy it. So you do what it takes to deliver that objective. The objective can sometimes be fuzzier at work, but I think that you have the right, even the responsibility to ask, if you’re not sure that your team is aligned.
Lesson 4 – The director can’t do everything
It’s so obvious when you think about a play. Of course the actors can’t run lights. Of course the director can’t run the box office. But here again, it can be difficult to see that in teams. Every team member should have the freedom to do their role and be trusted to do it well. The director’s role is setting the vision, finding the compromises, taking on board the input, sifting and making the decision about what the cast and crew do. Its about creating the conditions for them to be the best versions of themselves.
Lesson 5 – Focusing on outcome not process
When we are working to put together a production, we are focused on the outcome, the performance. Cast and crew members will do things they think deliver that. If I don’t see how it delivers, I will ask why they have done it that way. Just because it isn’t the way I would do it, doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. There are many paths to the outcome and the important part of the process is exploring them, not sticking to one.
Lesson 6 – Respecting each other is more important than liking each other
It’s nice to get on with your team, and enjoy their company. But it isn’t a requirement. Not liking someone in the team is fine, but not respecting them – their skill set, their perspective, their opinion – can be damaging.
Lesson 7 – Difference makes the difference
One of the real joys of being involved in a production is the many different types of people you work with, from the point of view of their skills (wardrobe, lighting, props, acting etc) to their personalities. When we come together, these differences mean we make something bigger and better than we could ever do on our own.
Lesson 8 – Understanding each others’ language
When you are working with people with different skills, maybe different personality types and different ways of expressing themselves, it’s important that everyone takes the time to think about the way they communicate with others that might not have the same technical skills or the same approach. Empathy and communication are core skills.
Lesson 9 – Trust is the glue that holds the team together
Once a performance goes up, everyone in the team has everyone’s back. If someone’s lines go wrong, the cast work together to get them back where they need to be. The crew trust each other to do what they each need to do properly to deliver the show. It is incredibly difficult to stage a production if you don’t have the trust in each member to deliver.
Lesson 10 – The power of feedback
Rehearsals are a process of constant feedback. The Director will use positive reinforcement to confirm things that work (“Jane, I loved the delivery of your line, the intonation was just right”) and constructive criticism to suggest changes to what doesn’t work (“Jim, we haven’t got the blocking right there. Can you stand up on the previous line, and only move once Jane starts speaking?”). This means the cast know where they stand. And there is always a purpose to feedback.
Photo by Hamish Kale on Unsplash