I discovered the website for the new Lost and Found Orchestra last week – and the show looks great. I’m definitely going to be in the audience very soon.
It struck me that this show is a great metaphore for our times – or at least, for what we should be doing to thrive in these times.
Its Connected – The musicians work together to create glorious sounds – they work in harmony, in synch with each other and in time. They complement each other’s sounds – each person has an important part to play and the whole is something far greater than any one individual could possibly create alone. We need to get our organisations thinking like this, working like this and connecting like this.
Its Innovative – You only have to look at the Instruments page on their website to see that they are not equipped with hand-crafted Stradivarius-style masterpiece. Instead they create their unique sound from contraptions made from rubber hoses, metal pipes, plastic road cones and assorted pieces of plumbing. We need to be creating more with less to thrive in this market. Companies that find a way to add value to every day necessities will surge ahead in challenging times. What real value can you create from the superflous bits in your business?
It Delivers – If you’ve seen Stomp, you’ll know that this show – created by the same company – will deliver in the same uplifting, sometimes heart-stopping, sometimes melodious, always riotous way. Can your customer be sure you’ll do the same for them? Are your people focused on making sure your customers can absolutely count on you for the best service possible?
Its New – and the name says it all for me. Not only is this show brand new, its got a real message in the title. We have undoubtedly lost a lot in this economic downturn. We’ve raced ahead through the good times and the casualties are being uncovered now. There are degrees of loss depending on individual circumstances, but the whole world will undoubtedly have lost to some level. It could be the old household names that have been around for centuries but haven’t survived this upheaval, it may be individual jobs. But what we do know from similar times in the past, is that economic crises create new industries, they create new innovations, new products and better ways of doing things. So although there are many things we’ve lost – we will find some new ones in the process.
Its Engaged – and this is where the real strength lies in this show. The performers’ enjoyment is tangible. They are absolutely 100% engaged in what they are doing together. And you can see they love it. Next time to go to a stage show – particularly a musical – take note of how much the cast members love their job. Given the pay level of the average stage artist, this is the perfect illustration of the fact that money isn’t the prime motivator. People choose to go into this profession knowing that they are doing so because they love it. And it shows. And the audience can feel it. If your people love their jobs as much, you can bet your customers can feel that too.
The artistic world is particularly good at reflecting the times – this is just one example. Let us know if you’ve come across others that inspire and uplift. We could all do with more of that.
Article by Vandy Massey
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