Some of the smartest most successful people I know and know of…I can’t really tell you exactly what they do. There’s no real definition. They might have a loose job description, but they do so much more, put so much of themselves into their work that their actual job description is just a formality.
They are invaluable and the borders of their actual work (professional, emotional, relational, etc) are undefined because they cover such a wide landscape.
So I scratch my head and think, I don’t really know what he/she does.
This is likely not the case in your band and team. True, most people’s jobs on your team are probably undefined too, but this stems from the opposite end of the spectrum: lack of purpose, vision, community, trust, ambition and teamwork. The un-definition based jobs on your team are not undefined because people are lighting the world on fire everyday with their character and ambition.
You thinking “I don’t really know what he does” is rooted in a very different place.
Your “undefined” workers have a different definition.
When you don’t know what the drummer or agent has been doing all week or month, when their work is undefined, the easiest thing to think is “They must be doing something valuable, I mean, they love this band, right? I’m sure they’re not just sitting around not putting themselves on the line. I’m sure they’re tackling the next project”.
I know you really really want to believe that everyone on the team is applying themselves and contributing to the goal. But if you don’t know they are…they’re not.
You have team members without definition because of assumption, fear, false hope and lack of responsibility in your leadership.
Chances are the people on your team who’s role can’t be defined have never had a clearly defined role to begin with.
Start there. With yourself and then with the others.
The people talked about in the first couple paragraphs became undefinable by first becoming extremely defined.
I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com