Where to give musicians more autonomy
Many other industries are pushing for increased workplace autonomy to improve job fulfillment and to help people be happier at work.
When we think about autonomy, what comes to mind is getting to choose how we do our work, where we do it, and when we do it. Working from home, deciding our flexible hours, or choosing what we work on and who we work with are a few common examples of what autonomy may look like.
Well, that's not going to work for orchestras. We can't rehearse whenever we want. We can't rehearse at home. We can't always decide what repertoire we play. And we can't always choose the people who sit next to us.
So we may think that workplace autonomy is simply impossible for the orchestra industry. And we are stuck. However, those autonomy parameters are perhaps not the only ones to consider for musicians.
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What does autonomy really mean in the workplace?
It means giving employees the freedom to do work in a way that will elicit their best performance. It's based on the premise that each individual has their own working style and preferences. We can't put everyone in the same box and expect the same best results from everyone.
The goal for increased autonomy in the workplace is to allow for that individualization. It is not free reign to do anything we want and whenever we want. Quite the contrary, autonomy actually puts more responsibility on the individual to identify and lean into ways of working that will suit them best. Operating in this manner can help us all capitalize on our own full potential.
So the leader and organization's role is to provide an environment and framework to promote this capitalization – autonomy is simply one strategy that helps us achieve it.
Therefore, it's important to remember that there is no one right way to achieve effective workplace autonomy. It will differ by industry, organization, and culture.
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For most other industries, the "where" and "when" are obvious places to begin, but those parameters are the most rigid and constrained for orchestras. That simply means we need to shift our attention elsewhere to insert more autonomy into our workplaces.
Here are some ideas on how we can do that.
Autonomy in "what" we do
While it is not the musician's job to decide on season programs, we can allow musicians to vote for certain repertoire during the programming process. They can also vote for collaborators and guest artists. The music director's role is still to curate the final programming, but with increased input from all the musicians who want to have a say.
Programming aside, we can also ask musicians what other kind of work they are intrinsically motivated to do. Is it more along the lines of education, marketing, research, speaking, writing, etc? We can use that information to curate a job profile that is individualized. Musicians are sometimes asked to participate in ancillary activity off the traditional concert stage. This might allow musicians more autonomy to choose how they want to engage in those activities and the contribution they prefer to make.
Autonomy in organizational growth
There are always areas for improvement in an organization. Most of the time, leadership prescribes action plans for their people, who simply execute the plan. For example, if the need is to improve outreach to gain more audiences, we usually dictate outreach activities and the musicians show up for these services. Instead, we may establish that the strategic goal is to better outreach and then allow musicians the freedom to decide what exactly they want to do to achieve the desired outcome of increased audiences. Or if there is a problem to be solved, musicians can be given the creative freedom to search for their own solutions, alone or together with a colleague. These are also examples of allowing musicians to choose "what" they do.
Autonomy in personal growth
We also want to grow as musicians and people. Sometimes, this is the most neglected fact in orchestras. We assume that winning the job means we are happy - forever. We forget that we want to keep getting better. Also, organizations like to think that they know how people want to grow. They may provide professional development opportunities - some even may be required and elicit a groan in some people. We can insert autonomy here by providing resources for professional development and allowing musicians to choose how they want to use those resources to reach their own goals.
Autonomy in job benefits
If we are lucky, our jobs come with benefits. They are usually universal across all employees. What if there was a way to introduce flexibility that allows people to choose their benefits? Someone may not need parking benefits but need child care support. They would be out of luck if only the parking benefit was offered as part of the same package. This is akin to allowing Uber users to choose how they want to use their reward points.
Autonomy in work environment
Imagine the difference it would make in an orchestra if everyone's chairs were adjustable. Comfort leads quickly to better performance and happiness. Imagine the increased comfort we would have if we allowed for more choice in what we wear. What if instead of a paragraph about dress code, we simply say "wear something that makes you feel proud about what you do." Instead of dictating policies that constrain, we can adopt principles that offer space for flexibility.
What may be other working conditions where we could insert some autonomy?
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Most of us have experience working under conditions where we feel micromanaged or given narrow prescriptions of what is expected of us. We know this actually holds us back. And the other end of the spectrum of total freedom also is unproductive. We can't operate effectively without accountability, boundaries, or guidelines.
So leaders would want to play in the sandbox that determines how much autonomy and what kind of autonomy to provide for their people.
Here's a place to start. Because autonomy means different things to different people, we can first survey musicians with these questions:
Under what circumstances are you at your best?
Under what circumstances do you feel supported?
Under what circumstances do you feel motivated?
What exemplifies flexibility and choice at work for you?
This information will reveal unsuspecting areas we may be able to insert more autonomy. These are the four areas we've already consider in this post:
How we can curate the kind of work we do
How we contribute to our organizations' goals
How we attain our specific goals
How we can design our own working environments and benefits
And again, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to autonomy.
A good way to think about it is to favor principles over policies. Establish a mindset and culture centered on strategy, and trust the people to find their own best way to work toward those goals.
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