They are lucky to have us
Given the fierce competition in our industry, we've developed the idea that we should be grateful that anybody has given us any job that involves playing our instruments and performing. We also tell ourselves (reinforced often by others outside of our field) that we are "so lucky" to get to do what we love for a living.
The combination of these two thoughts contribute to our default industry premise that the musician is lucky to be at the organization. Nothing in life is as simple, and this kind of thinking can sometimes get us into trouble.
This is perhaps why when even after we've won a job, we subconsciously feel like we have to continue earning our place. A wrong note, a bad day, or saying something that challenges the status quo - any of that could jeopardize our standing in the group.
So we lean into perfectionism thinking that it is the saving grace that will allow us to keep our jobs. We think we're "safe" if we avoid getting a negative comment about our playing. We may end up focusing more on perfect execution rather than on developing our artistry over a long period of time.
And we play it safe by staying quiet and not standing up for ourselves, because keeping our jobs is a priority. There is actually no time or energy to think about how things can be better, and we'd rather not stir the pot anyway. This article by Francesca Gino called "Why It’s So Hard to Speak Up Against a Toxic Culture" says it well:
"One reason people don’t speak up is the significant risk of doing so. Challenging the status quo threatens people’s status and relationships with supervisors and coworkers, research shows. Speaking up can also result in negative performance evaluation, undesirable job assignments, or even termination. Most people are aware of these potential costs; as a result, most stay quiet about bias, injustice, and mistreatment."
When we add to this fear to the idea that we musicians are lucky to be there, we become even more complacent and disempowered.
***
What if we reframed the premise?
The organization is lucky to have the musician.
What if we are asking these questions:
Are they treating us like that?
Are they actively trying to get us to stay?
Instead of:
Am I doing everything as they like?
Am I doing everything I can to get to stay?
Organizations and leaders can shift this premise by putting specific value into the musician. through our words, actions, and mindsets:
We need to show that musicians have value beyond simply filling a vacancy. It is not enough to say that someone was "chosen out of a competitive pool of 245 applicants." This actually makes it feel like their getting the job is dependent on what they did in that one performance–one they need to continue living up to and replicate forever.
Instead, we can consider and communicate:
How the organization benefits from what is valuable about a musician's musicianship
How the organization can benefit from what a musician brings beyond the music (their personality, their other skills, etc)
The potential that was revealed in the audition that makes them valuable and how the organization can help develop it
Why would the organization be lucky to have that musician 10 years from today
We all need to be reminded that "a job shouldn’t just provide you with a paycheck—it should be helping you gain skills, experiences, knowledge, and training that will help you further your career" (from the article 3 Signs You Should Definitely Quit Your Job).
Yes, we are lucky to get to do what we love for a living. The intended positive effects of that thought are only truly realized when it is reciprocated by our organizations - when they show us that they are lucky to have us.
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