#ModernManager

[chefseandent]

#respect #silly #kindness #kind #honesty #honesty #truth #quotes #quiteoftgeday #beyourself #weshouldnotforget #basic #values #modern #modernkitchen #modernmanagement #respect #respectful #chef #cheflife #chefwork #chefroll #chefsteps (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2j1muchXAn/?igshid=b9qvj0vs9fd9

[brainyapps-blog]

Did you know, that the advantage of a cloud system is that it frees managers from the dependency on a provider, as the app is updating by itself.

[dynamicmanager-blog]

Would the band still play without the conductor?: An interesting management and leadership analogy

The phrase 'the show must go on' has become a mantra for the entertainment industry, which leads to speculation that a band would still play for the crowds should the conductor literally break a leg before the big show. Maybe it's just me with my strange curiosities but I've often wondered exactly what the function of a conductor is. I mean do they actually make much of a difference? Surely the band rehearse the same song over and over don't they? So they must be able to recite it without help by now.  But this poses an interesting management question too, what other industries and workforces might this apply to? Is the manager really essential to the cause? Without a manager, could 'the show go on'?

Recently I had the fortune to be able to speak to a lecturer of music. Far be it from me to pass up an opportunity to ask about one of life's great questions (or at least one of my great questions!), I politely enquired 'would the band still play without the conductor?'. The reaction was one of thoughtful silence but it seemed as though I had suggested an unthinkable concept. Ask the same question in a party full of music professors and I'm inclined to believe that the band will abruptly cease playing so everyone can stare at you in disgust, whilst in the background someone spits out their tea in shock at this unwelcome faux-pas. It seems to many that the concept of a band comes with the conductor attached. It's the way things are, like roots are part of a tree. The answer of the lecturer was this;

'I suppose.....they probably would yes. but it's better to have a conductor, they give a feel to it. They can set the mood for the music'

So what I believe she is saying, is that conductors give a sense of purpose and direction, not unlike the modern manager or more specifically the modern leader. The band could improvise for themselves yes, but what a manager/conductor brings is the direction. He doesn't give precise minute details, such as notes, as these are already well known by band members. He defines what the band want to achieve, are they trying to portray a sad piece of music or a happy one? A conductor isn't so much the roots of a tree but the leaves, the tree still functions without them but the tree is no doubt improved by their presence. The lecturer followed up with words of caution to my theory however by adding;

'Someone told me that if a conductor doesn't seem to know what they want, the band just sort of do their own thing'

So then the conductor can actually run the risk of being too uninformative, they need to create a sense that they have all the knowledge required to do a good job, or they risk mutiny.  

So here's the thing, it seems that managers don't necessarily have to control every little detail, they're more about setting the mood. granted, this is arguably more a leadership trait than a management one. Consider the other side of the argument though and it becomes apparent that managers can also be guilty of giving not enough direction, appearing to have little knowledge in the process. Perhaps then the key is to strike a balance between to two?