The Ultimate Rock Show: A Workplace Metaphor

The lights are down, people are talking, you can hear the faint sound of footsteps in the background, and there is an energy that is about to explode into the air.? Thousands have crowded into this arena to hear a group of people that have been working relentlessly toward their goal: to put on the ultimate rock show.? A concert is an art form that has encompassed and guided people all over the world to find strength, happiness, work harder, and fulfill a goal.? A concert evokes all kinds of emotions ranging from sorrow to happiness, anger to peace, and anxiety to relaxation.? The workplace evokes all of these emotions as well.?

The U.S. workforce is a diverse mass of people who are all striving to achieve something in their lives for either themselves or someone else.? There are pressures from middle and upper management, peers, customers, and themselves.? The workforce is like a rock band that is here to make music and put on a great show.? However, there are times when the show is not so great.? Sometimes the show is awful.? The sound is off, the band members are tired or sick, the fans are not enjoying the show they have paid money to see, the sound and lighting is below par, the tour manager is not booking the best venues, and the songs are not coming together on stage.? In order to put on a great show, the band members, the lighting and sound technicians, the tour manager, and the fans all have to work together.? These groups will represent the technical core, technical support, administrative support, and management in the U.S. workforce today.

In order to be a great rock band and put on a great show, the band members have to hone their craft.? The band members are the technical core of this organization.? They are performing the basic work that will be the basis for everything else that surrounds the overall success of the show.? The sections of the U.S. workforce that act as the band members are the lower level employees on the hierarchy.? These workers constantly have to practice their craft according to the work at hand in order to perform the job perfectly.? If their work is not done correctly, nothing else will fall into place.? Their supervisors will not be happy with their performance, and the mediocre work will cause a shift in the motivation of the workers as well as management.? It is important to do the job well from the lowest levels because this sets the stage for the ultimate success or failure of the goal.? In comparison, if the band members do not know their own songs and play them as perfectly as possible, the concert will not be a success.

The technical support of a rock band lies in the hands of the lighting and sound technicians.? These people help the band look and sound as good as their records, if not better, for a live show.? These factors will also help the band and the fans acclimate to the current venue.? In comparison, technical support in the workplace is critical to helping the organization and its workers adapt to a changing environment.? These workers are innovative and help shape the organization’s appearance externally as well as internally.? It is also crucial that these technicians uncover and resolve any problems that may impede the success of the goal.? Just as a rock show has to be appealing and as problem-free as possible, so does an organization by the hands of its technical support system.?

It is difficult to book a band at great locations without a proper tour manager.? The tour manager is responsible for everything from the venue to compensation, as well as working with the booking agent, the promoters, and the road managers.? All of these positions would be equated with administrative support in the U.S. workforce.? The roles are geared toward maintaining the work that has already been accomplished, and directing others toward various goals that are important to the operation of the organization.? The tour manager would be compared to a supervisor in the workplace such as a role in human resources, training and development, and benefits.? The position is created in order to keep problems at bay and make sure that everyone is doing their job properly.? Just as supervisors are present to oversee, direct, and motivate, a tour manager’s job is to do the same.

Once everything is in place and the show is ready to begin, the ultimate approval comes from the fans.? The fans bought the records, gave their feedback on how much they loved the band and what they wanted in a concert, patiently waited for the concert, and now have the opportunity to hear and see all of the hard work that has brought the band to this moment.? The fans represent the management core in the configuration of the U.S. workforce.? Middle and upper management roles exist in order to monitor the employees and provide guidance and direction on what needs to be done in the future in terms of goals.? The managers decide if the employees have accomplished the goal at hand just like the fans at a concert will do for the band.? If the fans are not happy, the band realizes that they have to change some things in order to keep their fans coming to the concerts and buying their records.? The fans act as management because they pass information to the band concerning new goals and strategies to maintain their attention and remain at the top.?

Now more than ever, the U.S. workforce has to come together and collaborate with one another in order to reach the goals of the organizations as well as fulfill their own potential as workers.? Even though there will always be separate groups that are formed in order to work with different intents, very little in an organization is done strictly alone.? You could have a rock concert without lighting and sound, but the band would most likely not be asked back to that venue.? For the next venue, hiring a lighting and sound technician would raise the possibility of getting booked by a large percentage.? Hence, collaborating rather than doing it alone or not at all is a much better solution.? In the end, the show must go on, and only after it is over will the work begin again to put on the ultimate rock show.

So, who are YOU?

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