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spark new thinking - 01/26/12 - How To Give Everyone What They Need Sent Thursday, January 26, 2012

In this issue:
  • Feature Article: How To Give Everyone What They Need
  • Our Next Signature Event: Unlock The Potential of Perspective
  • All Access Pass Now Available
Time to read this newsletter: about 3 minutes

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Feature Article:

How To Give Everyone What They Need

by Mark Henson, chief imagination officer, sparkspace


Ever see a sound board in a recording studio or at a concert? You know, the kind with hundreds of knobs, buttons, and sliders, and banks of blinking lights that rival the bridge of the Starship Enterprise?

We've got one of those at our church. It allows us to control the sound of the microphones, instruments, etc. that we use during our worship services. There's a section on the board (pictured here) that controls which sounds get sent to the individual monitors throughout the auditorium and stage. There are several different monitors besides the main speakers that everyone hears. There's a monitor for the choir. There's a monitor for the keyboardist. There's a monitor for the vocal team. There's a monitor for the drummer.

Why do we have so many monitors?

Because they all need to hear a different mix. The drummer wants to hear the keyboard and the bass. The choir wants to hear the piano and our worship leader's microphone. The keyboardist wants to hear the guitar. The vocal team wants to hear a little bit of them band and a little bit of themselves.

As the guy at the sound board, it's my job to not only mix the music for the general audience, but to also make sure all of the performers get the right mix for them. I'll be honest, mixing the overall sound for the audience is way easier, partly because I'm in the audience (the board is in the back of the auditorium), so I know exactly what it sounds like.

But the monitors? That's a different story. I can push little buttons on the board and hear in my headphones what's being sent to each monitor. But depending on how loud the speakers are, how many people are in the auditorium -- and about eighteen other factors -- the sound coming out of any given monitor and the sound coming through my headphones can be drastically different.

This leads to some very creative, and tragically inconsistent, sign language between the people on stage and the crew at the board. One person will point to the keyboard and then point "up" to indicate they need to hear MORE keyboard in the monitor. Simultaneously, a person on the other side of the stage will make the exact same motion to indicate that the keyboard in their monitor is TOO LOUD! I just thank God I'm not relying on these people to tell me if it's safe to cross the street.

There are several key actions that I must take each week if I want to make sure that each person can perform as his or her best during the service:
  1. I ask them what they need before we begin.
  2. I set the levels to their preference.
  3. I walk up to the monitors during our "sound check" so I can hear exactly what they're hearing.
  4. Once the service begins, I watch each performer closely for those crazy hand signals.
  5. I make adjustments as needed and watch the faces of the performers for signs of relief or irritation.
Hmmm, sounds like the role of a good manager, huh?

Let me translate the steps into workplace language:
  1. Ask your people what they need to be successful. It's not really one question -- more like a series of questions or conversations where you learn what makes them tick, how they like to work, and what keeps them from being their best.
  2. Set them up for success. Once you know what will help them be their best, make it happen. Get them that new laptop, turn their desk toward the window, move their chatty neighbor to another part of the building, or set up a reward system. You get the point.
  3. Spend time face to face with them, in their environment. See what it's like in their shoes. Ever see the TV show, "Undercover Boss?" The bosses on that show get lots of reports on paper, but reports don't tell them the whole story do they? There's a whol world of information you can only gain firsthand.
  4. Check up on them. Don't just monitor their production or their "numbers." Monitor their needs. Sometimes you'll see things they're not mentioning because they're too busy. Are their light bulbs burned out? Are they spending too much time fighting with the 10 year old copier? Are they focusing their energy in the right areas? If you've established a good relationship with them, they'll tell you exactly what they need to keep rockin', but sometimes only if you ask.
  5. Adjust as needed. Over time, you have to monitor less and less, but you should never assume everything is set and you never need to adjust again. Stuff happens. Always does.

I know way too many managers who try to manage everything without ever crossing the threshold of their office. If your boss is like that, this just might be one of those articles you print out and anonymously place on his/her desk. Of course, if they're that kind of boss, they may never leave their desk, so you'll have to be creative. Hey, maybe this article will help YOU, too!



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Our Next Signature Event:

Unlock the Potential of Perspective

Date: Wednesday, February 16
Time: 8:00am - 10:30am
Location: sparkspace in the Arena District

You possess a power that can radically transform your workplace into a highly productive, supremely collaborative, and phenomenally more creative environment. Most people don't even know they have this power. But when they realize it's potential, well, great things start happening.

Do you know the true potential of perspective? A simple shift in perspective can eliminate conflict. It can lead to more creativity than you've ever experienced before. It can build relationships in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

Come to this dynamic, one-of-a-kind sparkspace signature event and learn how to Unlock the Potential of Perspective in yourself and your team. 

Sign up today, because our signature events always typically sell out quickly. The only way to not lose your seat is to register immediately. Click the button to get started.





This sparkspace signature event carries our 100% 30-Day No-Risk Guarantee. Get full details on our website.

All-Access Passes Now Available

For a limited time, you can get an All-Access Pass to every signature event* at sparkspace in 2012 for a very attractive, discounted price.

Get full access to 9 powerful & purposeful events in 2012 and save up to $1600! 1-seat, 3-seat, and 6-seat passes are available.


Here's the best news: you can use your pass for the same person all year, or send a different person every time. Some of our best clients have purchased multiple passes and plan to rotate the seats among several people in their company -- a great way to expose your team to all the inspiration and ideas we'll be sharing this year.

ORDER NOW!
To order your All-Access Pass, call Heather Zeigler at 614-224-7727 or email heather@sparkspace.com
 

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