The background; some times you noticed it and other times you don’t. Think of a concert, those people who set up the stage, hook up the instruments and check the sound systems. When the job is done well, you don’t notice. If something sounds off, this group is not who you think of. They’re kind of invisible. If you don’t know much about the inner workings, it’s easy to look at a list and think, what do these guys do? Let’s slash and burn. I taught a super soul yoga brunch. It was 5 years ago in Oakland on Super Bowl Sunday. I had 22 people show up to do yoga and then spend a couple of hours over food and drink.
A similar event was scheduled this year. I realized early on, a key component missing here in Boston. The background person with a strong network of devoted yogis, who with an email could summon the masses. Sure, I had my solid 8, but, “the connector” brought in 14 people. While the background may not see visible or seem important, it was key to the turnout of the day. Here in Boston, Eventbrite showed 38 registrants. There were 6 attendees a reminder, I’m not a connector, I am a hoster…maybe that is hostess? I can drag people into my home and 3 hours later they are fed and laughing with a group of people that have not met before. That happened today after the event. Come on over and hang out.
There is nothing like “the connector,” someone with the ability to tap into the target audience. Without “the connector” it can be a rough ride to propel a target audience to action. It’s that something in the background, that people can’t name, but noticed when It’s not there. Maybe it’s the same as what I do as a host in my home. It’s the surprise element. Select your pasta sauce, I can do a creamy lemon or a basil pesto. I mean after all, if I’ve made fresh pasta, it deserves fresh sauce. Hosting, connecting, it’s what puts a smile on faces; the ability to connect.
The background people, as they say, the people who keep the lights on. Someone new comes in and doesn’t see the value. I did a lot of work with requirements and strategy. Someone thought it was a good idea to eliminate my role, too costly, and just have the developers document requirements. That did not go well. Software features and functions were not included, some of the necessary data relationships were missed and testing was a shambles as there were no use cases to turn into test cases. Think of a bakery with inventory. Someone has to record and track ingredients needed and re-order when supplies get low according to what is scheduled for production. All the bakers can agree there is enough flour, but each is looking based on what they need, not what the bakery needs as a whole. Chaos ensues and imagine dust clouds of flours and two bakers reach for the same bag.
All of this reminds me of the federal layoffs, mass firings and executive orders in the last 35 days. Roles not understood are eliminated. Broken relationships and impacts that are not readily recognized, but will be soon and in unexpected ways. Government is not a business. One of the main tenants for people who want to get ahead in business, ask for forgiveness rather than permission. The thought being, things may move to slow, so do what you want and if it’s a success great and if it’s not, apologize. Right now, this insanity is next level, except this is not a game, it’s democracy? Businesses have a CEO who has to answer to a board and shareholders. That CEO can be fired by the board. Government does not work that way.
Rather than go into a whole dissertation of the differences between government and business, I’ll stop there and go back to the matter at hand, firings and layoff. We all know the chaos and confusion that ensues when personnel changes, at this grand scale, the day to day becomes fraught with stress, the weekly reports aren’t being done, well how can you proceeds without information. Alas, it cause the head to spin. This week, one consider the hidden jobs around you. Or maybe you have a hidden job. How do people with hidden jobs show value? Can they? Maybe for bonus points, can you identify the connector(s) in your life?
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 