5 ways to help musicians feel good
It feels great to make other people feel good. If you identify as a servant leader like me, you probably strongly identify with that statement. This is a no-brainer. Our number one objective is to serve and take care of our people. We love how that feels.
Many leaders in other industries intentionally work hard to make their employees feel good, perhaps due to the notion that their work is not intrinsically enjoyable - unlike the arts or sports. In the arts, we can believe that our work is intrinsically enjoyable, so we can underestimate the need for us to be intentional about helping our musicians feel good at work. We assume that we will feel good simply because we are playing music, but the grumpy faces I've seen in the rehearsal rooms show otherwise.
Here are 5 ways to help our musicians feel good at work:
1. Emphasize progress - We know that every rehearsal is supposed to move us forward, but sometimes we forget. Leaders can help identify and celebrate how progress shows up in our everyday work. This leads to a sense of achievement and meaning in the time and effort we've invested. The dopamine hit from acknowledging progress motivates us to keep striving.
2. Incorporate fun - Routines can get boring, no matter how efficient they are. The surprise happy birthday song for someone in the orchestra is always fun no matter how many times it happens, because it breaks the monotony of routine just enough. We can find ways to inject spontaneity and novelty into our routines. It can also be bite-size and not a huge operation.
3. Encourage curiosity - Learning is inherently important to humans. It boosts our confidence when we feel like we are growing. The one-sided aspect of a conductor-ensemble relationship can condition musicians to be passive and stop growing. Leaders can break this up by asking open-ended questions, inviting others to challenge their ideas, or intentionally learning something new from the orchestra by modeling curiosity.
4. Share awe - We all need moments of inspiration and emotional peaks. When experiencing awe, we feel like we are in the presence of something magical and otherworldly. In music, we actually get to create that amazing thing in a hands-on way. Leaders can seek out and highlight moments of awe to capitalize that special way we do work.
5. Enable trust - Leaders often default to being controlling (for a variety of reasons). That is the opposite of enabling trust. It robs the musicians of their autonomy and ability to make decisions on their own. When we find ways to enable trust, we improve the sense of autonomy that helps others feel empowered.
I don't think we should assume feeling good is a guarantee in musical workplaces. Like other industries, we have to be intentional about creating work environments where people feel good.
When people feel good, they are happier and do better work. When leaders help people feel good, we feel great and we derive meaning from it. It's a win on all fronts!
I invite you to try one of these intentions this coming week.
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