Great Morning Team!
It was opening night at our High School production of Anything Goes, and I had the incredible privilege of performing the principal role of Reno Sweeny, which was by far, one of the best roles and shows I have ever experienced in my life. 😊 My castmates and I had been through an exhaustive number of rehearsals over a three-month period. Each rehearsal was strategically planned by our director and filled with activities ranging from staging a scene to running a musical song from the show. Each rehearsal was designed to build upon the next. Each cast member, orchestra member, and stage crew were required to learn their part and do it well. Whether it was learning and perfecting musical notes, figuring out how to get a piece of heavy furniture on and off the stage without any lighting and safely, or memorizing lines and music; we all realized very quickly that we were one big team made of many, many parts, each relying heavily on one another, supporting each other to build something great. All of us were invested. We showed up at every rehearsal and placed our best foot forward working together as one. All together, we charted a course filled with challenges and amazing progress, which led up to this moment of opening night.
The audience was packed. The warm lights rose, and the orchestra began the overture. Things were going well enough, until were at the point in the show where my co-lead and I began to sing the main number of the show, “Anything Goes”. While the duet rhythmically is not too complex, it had many verses to it. My co-lead was not the best at memorizing lines and songs, and he struggled throughout the rehearsal process. Several of us in the cast had helped him along rehearsing lines whenever we could find the time. Unfortunately, that night, his nerves got the better of him, and he forgot his lyrics and stopped singing completely. At the next downbeat of the song, without thinking twice, I began to sing his part and mine, all the while acting with him on stage like nothing terrible happened, as if it was supposed to go this way. Things moved back on track quickly and overall, the show was a success. After the curtain call, my co-lead pulled me aside and thanked me. He asked how I knew his part in addition to my own. I explained that to learn my character in the show, I needed to know and understand his lines and lyrics to have a better understanding of my own.
Thinking back on those moments in my youth, it taught that while each cast member was an individual contributor demonstrating their hard work and efforts, the ability to create great impact as a team was even more special. It also taught me, when we are well prepared, we can easily get back on track, when we temporarily lose our way.
I also realized that we were all operating similarly to our EOS principles. Our director had a Vision of what the show would look like. She cast the show with the right People according to that vision (Right People, Right Seats). She measured the progress that we made in our rehearsals, which was our Data. We identified plenty of Issues along the way and resolved them in those rehearsals. We took notes, documenting our Process and progress. And finally, as a result, we created Traction. We each remained focused and accountable to ourselves and to each other. We each became more self-disciplined and able to execute and achieve our goal together, resulting in a fabulous production.
Operational Excellence plays a big part of the FEEL of our culture. Having the courage to remove our mask to reveal what we need to get 1% better at and admit what we don’t know and what we need to learn is all part of it. In the All-Hands video supplement that was sent out last week, Chris Cucuzza discussed improving Operational Excellence by each of us undergoing a Q4 Rock Review by his team, and it’s a generous gift. Our colleagues will be taking the time to provide us the guidance and knowledge to become better. Even if we construct our Rocks well, there is always something more we can learn. Additionally, better constructed Rocks with a strong clear vision, purpose, and milestones will likely lead to greater success ALL TOGETHER and BETTER TOGETHER. Looking forward to an exciting successful journey ahead in Q4!
Wishing you all a Better We, Better Week! 😊
Lori Beth
