High level performers in the business world who enjoy outstanding achievements frequently demonstrate mastery of orchestration, that is, the ability to arrange or integrate all elements in their environment to produce a unified synergistic support system.

What is orchestration and how is it used to achieve results?

Working in Unison

The highly promotable person sees the need to generate the people within the department or company into a team so that everyone is working for a common goal.

Visit the Indianapolis 500, or a concert for that matter. At the raceway, before the race begins, and whenever the driver needs to make a "pit-stop", a responsive, professional crew, working in unison and demonstrating a team-like psychology, speedily prepares the driver and vehicle to re-enter the race. There is no time, and little effort expended on destructive behavior, blaming, and non-cooperation of team members. To do otherwise would ensure that that driver and team would not be successful.

At the concert, if you go early enough, you will hear the dissonance of musicians, stage managers, and others tuning and gearing up for the performance that is about to occur. When the singer or maestro walks in and steps up to the mike or raises the baton, all the noise and clamor suddenly become music. The drummer doesn't try to drown out the bass player. The woodwind section doesn't undermine the performance of the string section. Rather, all play their part to present the customers (members of the audience) with the desired product (a pleasing sound).

Similarly, the promotable person and the successful business strive to orchestrate the various elements of the business environment to profitably maintain a customer focus. The attitude, activities, and communication of the orchestrator is such that he or she is able to generate, motivate and extract the best possible performance of the entire team. The orchestrator is not internally motivated by the specific interests and needs of his own department or group. Instead, he has developed the capacity to empathize with the needs of the whole and to feel accountable and responsible for the activities that take place. He or she becomes and functions as the very needed orchestrator.

Pull With or Pull Out

Beveridge Consulting Group believes in maintaining standards that , if you plan to be employed with the firm and enjoy advantages and opportunities for career advancement, you must either pull with or pull out. This concept represents yet another non-negotiable standard for the professional who hopes to achieve, excel and get ahead in business. Not many have the motivation or desire, perhaps even the patience to become orchestrators. It is a unique and valued skill that requires the ability to generate a team-like psychology.

The Rocky Road to Becoming an Orchestrator

Your attempts at orchestrating will be met by other managers and departments that are instinctively suspicious of your motives. Most people are so busy guarding their own turf that they can't believe anyone else could primarily be interested in what is good for the whole, as opposed to what is good for themselves.

One Beveridge associate worked for AT&T Communications just following the period of divestiture and break-up of the company's monopoly position in the telephone industry. Many AT&T employees had signed on years before when an AT&T career meant a secure position in a stable industry. All that changed as divestiture ushered in a new environment of competition and stress.

The environment in our associate's office at the time was particularly tense. Her attempts to orchestrate toward a solution for the common good were met with the direct rebuff, "I don't want your help!" It's little wonder that the effort to orchestrate was abandoned.

The story illustrates in important point. The promotable person must continue to be motivated as an orchestrator if it is welcome, and at times, even if it is not.

Let's look at the situation when your attempts to orchestrate are initially resisted. The first step is to win the confidence of the person or the department involved. There is no better way than to totally discard your needs, interests, and motives for a time, and become immersed in the interests, needs and activities of your peers.

If it were desirable to develop a team psychology with a neighboring unit, you might first confess to those people that you don't feel you know as much as you should about the activities, problems and difficulties they experience. Tell them that you would sincerely welcome the opportunity to spend some time with them to learn about their jobs and department. Further, suggest that if you had the opportunity you would try to find a way for your own department to do things more in tune with what would support the needs of both departments and the entire organization.

To formally arrange a time in which you could attend the other department's meeting, suggest two different dates in which you are available so that their choice would not be yes or no, but rather which date would be more preferable. Be outwardly appreciative, the most interested, empathetic, sympathetic business associate . . . and the best listener they have ever encountered.

Does all this sound a bit of fluff? It isn't! Promotable people do what is necessary within limits to build a cohesive team psychology. Once you have demonstrated your sincere interest in the functions of another person or group, you have then positioned yourself to extend a non-negotiable reciprocal invitation.

As others learn what you and your department do and what problems and challenges you face, you have effectively initiated a system of mutual support. However, this can only occur by first sticking your neck out a little, seeing beyond your own immediate needs and concerns, and mentally and emotionally supporting those who ultimately see the benefit in such orchestration.

© The Beveridge Consulting Group, 2002 All Rights Reserved.