The 3rd Priority of an Artistic Director
This November, I’m launching a programme of Coaching and Training that guides aspiring Artistic Directors through everything they need to know from the moment they apply to the end of their first year in the job, built around 7 priorities. I’ll be posting about one priority each day this week to give you a flavour of what we’ll cover in the Programme. Yesterday was Priority 2 - Purpose. Today is Priority 3 - People.
In organisations we work with other people to progress towards a common goal. It’s as simple as that. And it’s as complex as that. Inter-personal skills should be the forte of our sector, built on the foundation of what our art form cultivates - empathy.
An Artistic Director often shares responsibility for leading an organisation with an Executive Director or CEO whose job description may suggest they have the lion’s share of responsibility for the organisation’s people. But in reality, most of us work in the arts because we believe in the work and that work stems more often than not from an Artistic Director’s vision. As soon as there is an inconsistency between the work and our interpersonal experience of the person making it, our motivation drops and cracks appear.
In production, a good Director knows how to ‘get the right people on the bus’; how to manage the personalities of a rehearsal room and a production team; how to motivate, delegate and empower; and how to look after people when they need support. Transferring and translating the best of these skills to the people in your organisation is going to be central to your success in running an inclusive, effective and resilient organisation, starting with these three fundamentals:
Establish trust: there’s no two ways about it, trust takes time. But it is the cornerstone to every great collaboration - without it you’re building on foundations made of sand. When we take time to cultivate vulnerability and curiosity, and practice seeing through the eyes of others, we set ourselves up to build long-lasting trusting relationships with our colleagues and partners.
Build relationships: no matter the size of your organisation, there will always be between 5 and 10 working relationships central to your success - with the Executive Director and Chair being the most important. Taking the time to identify these relationships, understand how they function best and invest in them will ensure you are always stronger together and will set the tone for the rest of the company.
Strengthen teamwork: teams work best when they appreciate each other’s unique strengths and operate in a circle of safety where productive disagreement is as valued as collaborative agreement. Fostering a culture of stewardship delegation, helping people to manage conflict and empowering them to manage up reaps considerable rewards. Understanding the five key traits of high functioning teams will ensure you cultivate a collaborative work ethic.
If you’d like to learn how to hone these three key People skills and more, Sign Up now to my upcoming 7 Priorities Programme for Aspiring Artistic Directors. Tomorrow, Priority 4: Programming.
