2 days ago
Jeffrey Seller: Lessons From A Broadway Producer
When is enough enough?
Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller answered that question in an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air. 'One of our jobs,' said Seller, 'is to really try to feel how the audience is going to stay with the show through every moment of the show. And there's a moment where the audience, they can't take any more.'
If we were to substitute organization for employees, we would uncover a key element of change management, or indeed management in general. Employees can only do so much – be it change or implement new priorities – before reaching a breaking point.
Speaking of shows that go on too long, Seller asks, 'Where are we redundant? Where are we in a situation where we can actually lose something?" In fact, if there is too much going on, then people lose focus, and while there may not be redundancy in tasks, there is redundancy in the process – how you do it. That can lead to burnout.
In the past, I have seen senior leaders who ladled out so many tasks that, in effect, nothing became important, and so whatever good intentions there were foundered on the rocks of inertia or, worse, irritation, dissatisfaction and poor performance.
Limit new initiatives
One executive I worked with years ago said that he would not ask his team to take on new assignments without first asking them to "de-clutter." That is, stop doing something in order to make way for the new. Often, what employees stopped doing was redundant work. These things once had a purpose but no longer were necessary due to the implementation of new technologies, new processes, and new teammates.
Nurture with feedback
Seller, who produced the mega-hits Rent and Hamilton, made another key point in his Fresh Air interview that is relevant to getting employees to respond to feedback. Always begin with an affirmative when giving a critique. If you value the employee as a contributor, you want them to remain productive members of the team. If you open up the floodgates with what they are doing wrong, they shut down.
Red Berenson, the legendary hockey coach at the University of Michigan, told me that he spoke differently to players depending on their tenure with the program.
When they were freshmen, he would speak softly. By contrast, if they were upperclassmen unless Red raised his voice – something rare for him -- they might not listen. And Red added that he has encountered players 'who needed to be stroked and told how good they are and how good they can be.' Knowing how to reach each player individually nurtures a connection between coach and player and over time contributes positively to team performance.
Final thought
Always remember, as a leader, you are working with human beings. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that when you pushing for priorities that will drive output and strengthen the bottom line. No matter how important you think your initiative is, nothing gets done unless you have buy-in from others. Treating employees with dignity and respect may sound platitudinous, but it really works.
Note: Jeffrey Seller is the author of a new book, Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir.
