Workplace Satisfaction Poll Results

Last Friday’s casual poll asking readers to rate the level of importance of employee satisfaction within orchestral organizations has determined that things aren’t as happy as they could be. At the time this post was written, there were just over 400 responses and 2/3 of respondents indicated they don’t have a positive outlook on how well their organization measures employee satisfaction while more than 90% think the issue either very or …

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Friday Poll: Workplace Satisfaction

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Last Wednesday’s article about workplace satisfaction generated an enormous amount of direct reader email. Clearly, this is an issue which those in the field feel strongly about but for whatever reason, there’s an equally strong trend to share those thoughts privately. But that doesn’t mean we can’t conduct some casual polls to get a better idea of what people think… As such, take a moment out of your day to answer …

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The Best Orchestras To Work For

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I’d like to tell you which orchestras are the best groups for managers and musicians to work for. I’d like to tell you all about benchmarks for orchestral employee satisfaction. I’d like to tell you which orchestras experience the highest levels of employee loyalty and commitment. I’d like to tell you which orchestras have the highest levels of management-musician trust. Unfortunately, none of that is possible and we can’t expect anything …

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Office Space: Springfield Symphony (MO) Orchestra

Who doesn’t like taking a look into someone else’s office? I know I do and whenever possible, I like to take the time to profile some of better orchestra office spaces when the opportunity permits. At the end of the 2008/09 season, I spent some time in Springfield, MO working with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) where I was struck by their office space. If you subscribe to a correlation between office space and productivity, you’re going to be interested in what the SSO folks have accomplished…

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Accountability, Performance Reviews, and Planning

Welcome Back!  Yesterday, we talked about trying to raise money after the concerts are done.  Today I want to focus in on accountability, performance reviews, and tactical planning.

One topic I hear a lot about in the orchestra world is accountability.  In a very obvious way, musicians are accountable every time the orchestra plays.  They are held to extremely high standards; when they make a mistake, it’s often out there for everyone to hear.

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