Building a Successful Stage Management Team

In this week’s edition, I am discussing some strategies for building a successful team. Building a strong and cohesive team is essential for any stage management team to achieve its goals and objectives, and to lead a production with efficiency. It’s important to focus on how to maximize strengths, create opportunities for support not solely based on performance, and humanize team members rather than a cog in a wheel.

A team that works well together can produce exceptional results and create a positive and productive work environment.

However, building a team isn’t always easy. It takes time, effort, and a lot of hard work.

Getting a team put together can take different forms. At times, you are starting from scratch and can orchestrate all of the personalities and skills from the ground up. Other times, you already have an established team where you are filling an empty position. In both of these examples, you still must consider how the team interacts, and what each person brings to the table. As the Production Stage Manager, we usually have a lot of say in who we hire. Sometimes we don’t have as much say in whom we hire and are sometimes (in rare cases) even told whom we will have put on the team.

Maximizing Strengths

• The first step to building a strong team is to understand each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. By recognizing what each team member brings to the table, you can build a team that plays to its strength and fill in the gaps of each other’s weaknesses. When team members feel their strengths are being utilized, they are more likely to feel engaged, motivated, and committed to their work.
• When team members can use their strengths and skills to contribute to the team’s success, they are more likely to feel valued and invested in the team’s goals. As a leader, it’s important to identify and recognize these strengths, and to assign tasks and responsibilities that play to these strengths.
• Encouraging team members to openly share their ideas, perspectives, and experiences can help to uncover hidden strengths and talents. Letting your team share their ideas without fear of not being heard, more authentic responses will emerge which will build trust and rapport among the team and foster a more positive and productive work environment. By creating a culture of open communication and collaboration, you can create a team that is more innovative, creative, and successful.

Creating Support Opportunities

• Supporting team members in ways that are not about how well they are doing the job is a powerful way to show that you are invested in their growth and success as a Stage Manager. This can include creating a culture of honest feedback and encouraging hard conversations, mentorship and coaching, providing access to resources and tools, and offering professional development opportunities. This might look different for different types of entertainment jobs. When team members feel supported, they are more likely to take risks, be creative, and innovate.
• Additionally, creating opportunities for team members to connect with one another outside of work can help to build a sense of community and support. This can include team-building exercises, social events, and other activities that encourage team members to get to know each other beyond their work roles. I know it’s difficult to find time to do these types of social team events outside of work, but it allows the team to see each in other lights that aren’t often seen in a work setting. You might even learn something new about your team.
• Everyone works differently and sometimes the way we like to work can be different. Setting expectations about the specifics of tasks that need to be accomplished is important, but how they get done can be flexible. For example, some people I’ve worked with prefer to work from home or when they can sit at a coffee shop and enjoy the vibe rather than sitting in a rehearsal room around a table with the team in silence. By providing team members with the flexibility to work in a way that works best for them, you can create a more supportive and inclusive work environment. This can help to reduce stress and burnout, while also increasing productivity and job satisfaction.

Experiences that Humanize Team Members

• Humanizing team members can help to build a more empathetic and understanding work environment, which can in turn lead to more productive and positive outcomes. By creating a sense of community, team members are more likely to feel connected and invested in the success of the team. One way to humanize team members is by allowing space for them to share their personal experiences and backgrounds. Asking questions about their background and where they come from can help everyone to understand more about what’s important to them. Allowing space for team members to connect on a personal level can build stronger relationships and ultimately trust.
• Another way to humanize team members is by acknowledging and celebrating their accomplishments and milestones. This can include recognizing birthdays, work anniversaries, and other important milestones in team members’ lives. By acknowledging the individual contributions of team members, you can build a more positive and supportive work environment that encourages togetherness.

Including Everyone in Big Decisions

• When team members feel that their input is valued, they are more likely to feel invested in the decision-making process and committed to the outcome, which can lead to a greater sense of ownership. Involving team members in decision-making will naturally lead to more diverse perspectives and ideas, which can lead to better decision-making outcomes.
• By creating a culture of inclusivity and collaboration, you can establish a more positive and productive work environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute their ideas and insights. Ensuring everyone has a voice and that their opinions are heard and considered, regardless of their position or seniority within the team, will cultivate a culture of equality and vulnerability.

Asking for Feedback

• Another important aspect of building a strong team is asking for feedback. By soliciting feedback from team members, you can identify areas for improvement, address concerns, and create a culture of continuous improvement. When team members feel their opinions are valued, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work.

See my previous edition where I discuss feedback here.

Recognition

• Recognizing the efforts and contributions of team members can go a long way in building a positive work environment. Recognition can be achieved through awards, bonuses, promotions, or simple words of appreciation. We as Stage Managers are often recognized very little and it’s a great way for us to support each other as a team.
• Speak up and share something about your team that you really appreciate perhaps how they handled a difficult interaction with someone during rehearsal, how they solved an issue in rehearsals, or how they responded to an email. It can be simpler too, like how they always bring a positive vibe to work. Recognizing team members for their efforts can create a sense of loyalty and motivation, leading to better results for the team.

Conclusion

• By maximizing strengths, creating supportive opportunities, treating our teams with a humanistic approach, including everyone in decisions (big and small), asking for feedback, and giving recognition, we can create a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and connection. It takes time and effort, but with the right strategies and mindset, building a successful powerhouse team is possible!

Also by Bryan Runion:

Phases of Production: The Rehearsal Process as a Stage Manager

The Six Phases of Production