Get employees together to hire
people they like. In the interview
process, we involve other staff
members to get their perspective because having different
people’s opinions and views are
important. We try and flesh out
what is the true person rather
than just the flashy resume.
It would be more likely that
we bring in people working
directly with them, but we’ve
also involved some key board
members who might be working with that person.
Basically, you have to like the
person. I know that there are
some organizations where the
top management tries to essentially pit the employees against
each other, believing that type
of tension will create greater
results, and that may work for some organizations, but I don’t think that would work for us.
The reason we’ve had a lot of
success at PlayhouseSquare and
a long tenure with many of our
employees is because of the culture that we’ve created. We
want people to enjoy work and
the people they work with.
Modify the hierarchy. You have to
have a hierarchical structure
because that’s how things are
done most efficiently. However,
you can modify that structure. It
comes down to the senior staff
doesn’t feel threatened.
Insecurities are always the
reason for some of these hierarchical problems. There just isn’t
a situation where someone
couldn’t ask me a question.
Clearly, they may go to the
department head because they all understand that I’m busy, and
it doesn’t work to have an
organization where everybody
has to ask the president every
question.
But it’s more management by
walking around, and whether
that’s in the theaters or the
offices, we’ve created a culture
where I’m around and I will ask
them questions. We don’t have a
hierarchical type of organization
whereby you can only go to the
head of that department to ask
a question, who will then go
one level up, who will then go
to the person who actually
knows the answer.
If you know who has the
answer, just go to that person,
and that creates a culture
whereby people don’t feel as
hindered.
HOW TO REACH: PlayhouseSquare, (216) 771-4444 or www.playhousesquare.org