Tonight, I went to Newcastle Theatre Royal to see a brilliant comedy ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’, a Laurence Olivier award play in 2015. As the title implies, everything that could go wrong in the play goes wrong.
Of course, the production of The Murder at Haversham Manor, the play within the play, suffers from a director out of his depth, a lousy cast, hapless stage hands, not enough rehearsal time, a set in dire need of investment, not to mention a poorly written script.
So, why am I writing about a comedy I have just seen? Well, because in my view, a play has a lot of similarities with the workplace.
Imagine the following structure:
The theatre The workplace
- The director The manager
- The cast The frontline teams
- The stagehands The support team / tech guys / security
- The stage / set The premises
- The script The vision / values / systems / policies
- The audience The customers
In the play within the play, the director has no idea how to direct his cast. Here are a few possible reasons for this, and possibly several or all apply:
- He was untrained
- He lacked experience
- He didn’t know what to do
- He didn’t know how to do it
- He lacked confidence in giving directions
- He was doing a job he wasn’t suited to
- He had lost his passion, his drive
All the above could apply to a manager in the workplace. Team leaders and managers also need
training and support, but many are too afraid they will appear weak if they ask for help or support. Some don’t want it because they think as the manager they know best.
Many managers are also burnt out; they started full of energy, passion and drive, worked long hours, tried to do everything themselves without delegating (they probably don’t know how to), with poor time management perhaps, lack of feedback and little praise and encouragement from their own boss. Then they eventually realised they weren’t happy in their job, started not to care and went through the motions. They either stayed because it was safe and comfortable, or ultimately left.
I have met managers fitting this description; it is not uncommon.
The cast had its fair share of issues as well:
- They were poorly trained actors
- They weren’t engaged or motivated
- They lack direction and guidance
- Some were miscast
- There was a lack of rehearsal time
- Nobody asked them for their input beside acting
Again, you could swap the cast with frontline teams at work. Training the skills necessary for them to do their job is essential, but so is hiring the right people for the right job. I said many times that you can train skills, but you can’t train attitude. In the same way as actor, teams need clear vision and direction, and they need to know what is expected of them. They must be aware of what the company policies are, what the systems are and how they work. And they need refresher courses and retraining when system change.
Employees are also empowered by being involved in decision-making, and by being asked for their input, their suggestions and ideas.
In the same way stagehands needs to be trained and well-rehearsed, and be there when needed, support teams at work must be trained, prepared and ready to bring assistance when needed.
As for the script, it needs to be well written, with a plot which makes sense, which is original and fit for purpose. Your business needs a vision and core values and they must be communicated clearly to the workforce. Policies and systems must be in place and employees must be aware of what they are.
The stage needs to be clean, tidy and safe for the actors and stagehands. The set must be well constructed and solid for everyone’s safety. When you visit a business, you expect to walk into a clean and safe environment, and employees must also feel the same, in order to be able to do their job and provide excellent customer service.
If all these ingredients had come together for the production of The Murder at Haversham Manor, the audience would have had a great experience this evening. Similarly, if businesses do all these things right, with a strong passionate manager leading and guiding an engaged, motivated and empowered team, they will have a hit on their hands. Their customers will have an excellent experience and they will come back again and again, as audiences do when they attend a great show. If they don’t get it right, they will end up with a turkey.
Actually, as the audience of the play within the play and the audience of The Play That Goes Wrong were one and the same, the experience was fantastic, with lots of laughs and applauds. I will certainly go and see other productions from this theatre company.
Thank you and take care.
