Messages

1

Employment / Fired from an SM Job

« on: May 21, 2006, 06:20 pm »

As managers, part of what makes us good at what we do is the ability to adapt.  Once the proverbial axe has fallen, the most you can do is learn from your mistakes and know not to repeat them ever again.  

Leaving in the middle of a run is not fun.  It's is painful and humiliating to have your coworkers look at you like you're the walking dead as you pack up your stuff.  No one knows what to say to you, or if it's even ok to talk about it.  But if you have been genuine and sincere and treated your people like human beings, then if you do get fired, you will still most likely have a network of people who will side with you, support you and continue to speak well for you even after the fact.  

We all make mistakes.  Own up to them, learn from them, pass along the wisdom.

And in the spirit of sharing wisdom, I am constantly noticing how a perfectly competant person can ruin their experience (and everyone elses!) by having a negative attitude.  Bitterness, angst, contempt for coworkers, lack of compassion, jealousy, hate...  It amazes me how many SMs I've come across who have one or more of these things working against them.  

I am of the opinion that Attitude is just as important as Competance when deciding whether or not to fire someone.  It's all about balance.

2

Employment / Under what circumstance is it right to...?

« on: Jan 17, 2006, 07:37 pm »

I agree with MC.  I recently opted out of a (nicely paying) 6-month gig with a SPT because I had already committed to a (not-so-nicely-paying) 3-month gig with a community theatre which had booked me 2 months prior.  Turns out that the people I've met through this community theatre have been very impressed with my work and have all begun to sing my praises to just about everyone they meet.  ::knocks on wood::

One of the beauties of community theatre is that the people involved are HAPPY to have you there.  They're simply grateful that anyone at all is there to do the job.  If you treat your show with the same respect as you would give a professional show, it will pay off.  Working for a small, easily-pleased company is GREAT for references (and the ego!) for when you want to move up to bigger/higher-paying things.

Backing out of a show you've already agreed to would be damaging to your reputation...  And negtive gossip is always the quickest to spread.  So what happens when you're ready to apply for a big job in the city, but they've already heard that "you're a flake?"  

We all have to climb "up" the proverbial stage management ladder, right?  We shouldn't squash the smaller companies that help us get there.