1. Me, Ambiguity, and Management
In defining anything we create a concrete and finite idea of what that thing is. As a class of managers and participants in the arts, finance, and business you would think that our class could easily define ‘management’. Alas our class struggled to agree upon a single definition for the term ‘management’. So how do you define ‘management’? Is there one definition that is fitting for all managerial situations? What influences our idea of what management is? These are things that I began to ponder once our discussion in class had come to an end.
Naturally, I went to Google and typed “Definition of management”. Google simply states that management is, “the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.” While this isn’t the most eloquent of definitions, I think it is a basic and accurate definition of management. The use of the word control brought me back to the discussion in class where the word ‘control’ was perceived to have a negative connotation. Is this because as artistic and creative individuals we do not like the idea of being controlled, or in the manager’s case being controlling? This is where our own experiences come into play in determining what management is.
In general, we all agreed that management is less about having control over people and things and more about orchestrating the activities and behavior of people and things. This being said, doesn’t the responsibility for orchestrating the activities of people and things mean that you to an extent control them?
2. Deadlines, Timeframes, and Due-dates
Employees and Employers are constantly striving to meet deadlines. Whether the project at hand is a report, product, jingle, illustration, or performance, the quality of the work can be dependent on the timeframe within which it is created. Too short a timeline and you can end up with an unfinished product, and too long a timeline can lead to a complex, over-thought product.
How then can you decipher what timeframe is acceptable? Shorter deadlines seem daunting, but can be a metabolism for clear thoughts, imaginative ideas, and precise craftsmanship of the final product. In an interview with Jocelyn K. Glei illustrator, Christoph Niemann explains that, “if the anxiety is about the deadline, then the energy really focuses on the result.” He further states that “the briefing is much better, and the discussion is much better… [the clients are] just really looking at what they have, and trying to make the best product, and get it done.”[1] With less time spent trying to “perfect” a project, you can pinpoint specific needs or goals, and set forth an efficient plan.
On the other hand premature deadlines can hinder the quality of a project. Say, for example, you commissioned a theatre troupe to produce a Shakespearean play in one week. For a 15 minute sketch one week is reasonable, but for a full 2 hour production it is unlikely that the quality will be up to par. Deadlines must be proportionate to the task, but working within a shorter timeline can stimulate clarity of objectives and precision in the execution of a project.
3. Will work Free for Experience in the Arts
In nearly every course this semester the subject of unpaid internships has popped up in our discussions. We’ve talked about the need for more hands working, and the lack of funds available to pay those hands; the desire that arts graduates have to work and their willingness to contribute whether or not they are being paid; and the ethics that employers should abide by when taking on employees. For a topic so commonly discussed, why are young arts graduates not taking a stand against the overuse and abuse of interns in the workplace?
For starters an internship is a quick way into a company. Siebert et al. mentions that “One-third of entry level jobs for graduates are expected to be filled by those who have already worked for their organization,” and in the UK nearly half of graduates in the creative sector took on voluntary work in 2010.[2] Many organizational leaders defend their use of internships as a way of providing young professionals with the experience and social capital needed to develop a career. Likewise young professionals often find this behaviour normal.
However, if young professionals can gain the social capital they need to develop a career, it undermines the skills and knowledge learned in college? Recent graduates have three or four years experience in meeting deadlines, undergoing research, and working overtime to get the job done. I believe that the time taken, money spent, and hard work invested in a college degree should ensure each graduate a stipend or small wage for their contributions to an organization during an internship.
4. Less is More...?
Less is more. A common phrase, but what does it really mean? When dissecting this phrase, I noticed two major flaws: First, ‘is’ suggests that this phrase is definite and cannot be contradicted? Second, the meaning of ‘less’ and ‘more’ are left up to interpretation.
While the phrase ‘less is more’ expresses the importance of simplifying words or presentations into concise thoughts and explanations, this phrase is not always true when applied to consumer/buyer patterns. Drawing from the data of Avni Shah and George Wolford’s study ‘Buying behavior as a function of parametric variation of number of choices,’ Dave Munger states that “we appear to prefer a moderate number of choices --- not too many, and not too few.”[3] In writing techniques and presentations you also need to convey a moderate level of information. Too much information can make it overwhelming for your audience or reader, and too little can leave people confused or bored.
Sprouting from this discovery, the meaning of ‘less’ is not the least amount possible but rather the least amount required to capture the attention and interest of your audience. Whereas ‘more’ would be an amount that exceeds that optimal amount, rather than the largest amount possible.
Considering all of the above ‘less is more’ is truly about finding a happy medium or a balance between sparse and overwhelming. In terms of management this can be applied to how you plan, advertise for, and evaluate events, as well as how you work with your staff members and volunteers on a day to day basis.
5. Negotiating, Persuading, and Manipulating: Is this the new Glass Half Full?
Competition in the workplace has always pushed individuals to work hard in order to come out on top, but have the tactics used to fulfill these achievement goals gone too far? In his book Office Politics: How to thrive in a world of lying backstabbing, and dirty tricks, Oliver James suggest that because the rising number of triadic personalities in the workplace, you cannot afford to work without employing tactics such as negotiating, persuading, and manipulating.[4] In an interview on BBC News, James expresses that “the perception of your contribution becomes more important than what you’ve actually contributed,” making it crucial to understand your coworkers, and how to win them over.[5]
This process is similar to playing poker; you must play the best cards from your hand and hope they are better than the other player’s. This seems like a “glass half empty” concept. If you must stoop to the level of someone who can weasel their way to the fore front of a company without having done the work to get there, then you may as well give up doing credible work, and practice your hand at charming others. “A glass half full” company bases decisions off of the work that is produced.
6.Groups, Groups, & Jumping through Hoops
Within the arts industry group work and collaborations are an essential aspect in the workplace. Dancers, actors, musicians, and other performers often work in groups, management teams work together to make organizations function, and groups are often formed between members of several companies to put on community events.
While groups are a prominent tool, they can be difficult to work in, and are not always the most effective option. Reflecting on her interview with J. Richard Hackman, Diane Coutu notes that “most of the time, his research shows, team members don’t even agree on what the team is supposed to be doing.”[6] Without a clear objective and an effective leader, groups will more than likely stumble and crawl towards an outcome, rather than rushing towards one.
There are several common mistakes that occur when groups are being formed including: grouping people who have harmonious opinions rather than those who have clashing opinions, forming larger rather than smaller groups, and reforming groups too often.[7] For example, three people who don’t see eye to eye working on a project can create a , while five people who have the same opinions working on a project can induce a stale and complacent environment.
By constantly forming new groups rather than letting groups mature, you can be taking a big risk. It takes several times practicing for groups to learn how to work with one another, and by always changing groups you can be making it more difficult for a group to achieve the desired goal.
[2] Siebert, Sabina and Fiona Wilson. All Work and No Pay: Consequences of Unpaid Work in the Creative Industries. Work, Employment & Society. August 2013. Vol. 27, no. 4. 711-21.
[3] Munger, Dave. Is less always more? Scienceblogs.com. Cognitive Daily. 8 July 2009. http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2009/07/08/is-less-always-more/
[4] James, Oliver. Office Politics: How to thrive in a world of lying backstabbing and dirty tricks. Vermilion. 2013.
[5] Leyl, Sharanjit. Interview with James Oliver: How to Spot a Psychopath in the Office. BBC NEWS, Business. 6 Nov. 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24829996
[6] Coutu, Diane. Interview with J. Richard Hackman: Why Teams Don’t Work. May 2009. Harvard Business Review. http://hbr.org/2009/05/why-teams-dont-work
[7] Ibid
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