Educating Managers

[Nichols]

At 07:31 PM 11/8/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>         I don't know if the title of my email is an oxymoron or not, but
>right now it kind of feels that way.


Kevin, Keith, Ed, et al;
    Gotta admit that Kevin's aggravation was justified, and that some mgrs 
are a little naive about some of the tech requirements. (not just the 
tuner) But... like Ed said, attitude really pays off.
Posture. Professionalism. That's what stays in their memories. "You bet! No 
problem!" gets results. It also allows you to be the hero, when you explain 
in an educational manner: "Yeah.... quiet would be best, but we can handle 
it, I think.... "  or "We'd usually need a solid hour(2,4,6,etc) for this, 
but if one of your guys could hold this light, we'll make it work."  or 
(recently, in a stadium/jock pit) "Yup, the machine will help me get it 
close, but it would be quicker and better if those guys could shut off the 
gas-powered leaf blowers for a while." (seems they just COULDN'T use good 
old brooms to sweep up the trash!)


>It's really incredible what little effort it takes to make something 
>happen when time is of the essence and still satisfy the situation.

And so many of the ones that have "situations" are the same ones that can 
be easily "satisfied". The ones that are actually picky usually have a 
better grasp of the tech needs. Again, when we manage to satisfy, 
we-da-hero. Remember Scotty on Star Trek? He ALWAYS told Capt. Querk that 
it was gonna take twice as long at he needed to save the ship.

>The only language for the piano technician to know is that those in charge 
>are there to insure the show will go on, and that it's a much larger 
>reality than just a piano tuning for them.

Boy howdy, I wouldn't want THEIR job. Talk about stress!

>In a concert/recital venue, a person must work with what they're given, 
>not with what they want. You hope for a slice of the pie, but thankful if 
>only a taste is what you receive. The art of cutting corners, so to speak, 
>when all other options have been exhausted.

Yeah. Like today. Sad..... sad...... sad. Have a D that has FINALLY gotten 
to a sweet voice. Even put one of PianoTek's new tension resonators in the 
treble, and she sings. Several hours over the last couple of weeks, 
tweaking and balancing. Sounded nice. BUT.... nationally aired radio 
program tomorrow, live, and the Concerto for Piano VS Brass Quintet was 
burying the poor thing. So.... turned it into a Kayamachang. They loved it. 
I was the hero. I tried to smile as I left. Tomorrow I'll tune before and 
after rehearsal, and cringe through the concert


>Thanks for the opportunity to muse,

Same here.
Go ahead and tell 'em, Kevin. Just do it with a smile.

Wage Peace,
Regards,
Guy

Oh.... and a rather long sorta OT sig line (note):



The loud little handful - as usual - will shout for the war. The pulpit
will - warily and cautiously - object... at first. The
great, big, dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to
make out why there should be a war, and will say,
earnestly and indignantly, "It is unjust and dishonorable, and there is
no necessity for it."

Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on the other
side will argue and reason against the war with
speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded,
but it will not last long; those others will outshout
them, and presently the antiwar audiences will thin out and lose
popularity.

Before long, you will see this curious thing: the speakers stoned
from the platform, and free speech strangled by
hordes of furious men...

Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon
the nation that is attacked, and every man will be
glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study
them, and refuse to examine any refutations of
them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just,
and will thank God for the better sleep he
enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.

Mark Twain, "The Mysterious Stranger" (1910)