Do You Believe?
I’m Andy Temte and welcome to the Saturday Morning Muse! Start to your weekend with me by exploring topics that span leadership, business management, education, and other musings designed to support your journey of personal and professional continuous improvement. Today is September 28, 2024.
At 8pm tonight, I’ll take the stage with my bandmates in The Remainders at a large regional festival—Oktoberfest USA in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Fun fact, the first Oktoberfest in La Crosse was in 1961—one of the longest running Oktoberfest festivals in the US.
There is a tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure our finished product meets or exceeds the expectations of the audience that turns out to see us perform. Sound, lighting, production, practice sessions, set list curation, coordination with event organizers, security, equipment maintenance, transportation/logistics—the list goes on. Did I mention individual and team practice sessions? So much practice.
I’m stereotyping, but with all the griping and lack of empathy that comes from some festival and concert goers—especially regarding ticket prices—I should dedicate a future muse to what it takes to put on a successful festival in an attempt to educate the general public on why ticket prices are what they are. But today, I’m going to focus on the journey musicians go through to develop the confidence that’s necessary to stand in front of other humans and lay themselves bare. Today’s story is applicable to you and your business, so stay tuned for that lesson.
There’s one thing I know about being a performer. You cannot control how an individual audience member (the customer) is going to receive and perceive your performance. Art is by definition subjective. One viewer can absolutely love what you’re laying down while the person right next to them is not diggin’ it.
Another brutal truth is that the lack of empathy that I mentioned previously is real. The average consumer of art expects you to be at the top of your game all the time and there is little or no forgiveness for a bad night. As performers, first impressions are everything—we usually only get one shot at creating a lasting connection with a customer. If we blow that first impression with a poor performance, that experience becomes the customer’s anchor for their opinion going forward. Anchoring bias is a very real thing.
But even in the face of extraordinary competition and a highly discerning, sometimes unforgiving customer base, something deep drives people like me to continue to put ourselves out there. For me, I was bitten by the performance bug early in life. I’ve felt the beautiful, spontaneous, unexplainable joy of connecting with an audience—the powerful energy transfer that takes place between bandmates and with the audience when everything syncs together and locks into place. Transcendence, synergy, interdependence, harmony—there are many words to describe the mutually-beneficial relationship that can form between performers and an audience. I’m hooked on this feeling…
So here’s the point. There are many, many thousands of individuals on this planet with musical skill levels that exceed mine. I know that there are people out there that can outperform me based solely on skill. So why am I on stage and they’re not? What separates us? What prevents them from taking my place?
I believe. I believe that I belong. I’ve put in the work. I deserve to be in the room or on that stage. I trust that my bandmates and production crew have my back and I have theirs. Skill alone doesn’t cut it. To take that stage, lay myself bare, and leave all of myself with the audience, I must believe that I am there for a reason.
So what’s the connection to business? For you to succeed in your role, to be a difference maker to your colleagues and to your clients, you have to believe. Yes, you must have a baseline of technical skill and proficiency that’s laid down through years of education and training, but for the next presentation, for this sales pitch, for this budget defense, put in the work and then believe in yourself and the capabilities of your team. Have their backs so they have yours. Timidity and self-doubt at both the individual and team levels represent the fast-pass to mediocrity and disappointment.
Tying it all together,
You can’t control how your message is received no matter how hard you try. That’s why persistence and constant communication are keys to success in business.
Your customer will seldom give you second chances. They’re demanding and discerning. First impressions are everything. Oh, and the second you think that you’re the one with the highest skill level in your field, that’s the second you find out that there are thousands of folks who have the skill to surpass you.
Practice is essential. If you’re doing a big pitch or a budget defense, practice it. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see professionals in the business world make—they don’t practice!
Align your personal purpose with the work that you do. This alignment allows you to tap into the deep well of conviction and commitment to the work that you can tap into when the going gets tough.
The best teams in the world believe. So channeling my best Ted Lasso, winning individuals and teams believe.
Now, I’ve got to go get set up, soundcheck, ensure everyone knows what everyone else is doing, practice, take a nap, and then hit the stage at 8pm.
