As we wrap up 2023 and look toward the future, now’s the time to make your performing arts team feel appreciated for all the work they put into your theatre this year. Alongside facilitating all those warm and fuzzy feelings, you should also be empowering your team at year-end to start 2024 off with a bang. But how? On The Stage offers a few strategies (some with year-end or holiday twists!) to get you started.
A good way to remain on track in any industry is to always remember your “why.” This strategy is particularly helpful when attempting to boost morale and empower team members to succeed.
As the year comes to a close, remind your team about the purpose and mission of your theatre. Make sure they’ve been operating with that purpose at the core of their actions. After all, orienting your team’s beliefs into a common goal will help to achieve benchmarks and keep the team on track in 2024.
As a year-end exercise, have your team write down their own personal ‘whys’ as they relate to work, then have them seal up the papers in festive envelopes. This time next year, have the team open and share their purposes with the team – then discuss ways in which they fulfilled that purpose all year long.
One of the greatest ways to bolster your team is through supporting their continued growth. After all, learning opportunities fuel employee empowerment. Those who learn on the job are less likely to feel stressed, and more likely to feel productive, successful, and equipped to take on more responsibilities down the line.
But how can you support growth in your team? Encourage them to brainstorm and discuss personal goals they can reach in 2024. Whether it’s continued education, philanthropic involvement, or professional development seminars, the sky’s the limit.
Consider organizing a philanthropy day at year-end with your team, where you volunteer as a team or at individual nonprofits of personal significance. Additionally, organize or find workshops on theatre-specific skills your team has expressed interest in and spend a day at the end of the year learning. As long as your team is continually growing, you’ll find ample success.
Delivering honest feedback – and, in turn, fostering open communication with your team – is a great way to empower everyone. After all, one of your key responsibilities as a leader is to enable your team members to do their best work. This can be achieved through delivering feedback on their performances and accepting feedback on your performance in return.
Remember to be clear, specific, concise, and positive. A recent survey by Gallup found that 67% of employees whose managers focused on strengths were fully engaged at work, compared to 31% of workers who received feedback centered on their weaknesses.
A great way to incorporate positive feedback into year-end reviews is through a festive award ceremony. Get your team together as the year closes and bestow each employee with an award highlighting their best work this year. This will keep employees motivated while recognizing their greatest achievements in 2023.
In the humdrum of everyday office life, it can become “par for the course” to do things the way you’ve always done them. Why? Because it’s easier and comfortable, of course.
But complacency doesn’t lend itself to great art. Instead, challenge your team to think outside the box when it comes to your theatre and aspirations in 2024. Whether you’re brainstorming new ways to fundraise, market your offerings, utilize technology in lighting or sound, or another goal for the year, it’s time to get creative and push the limits.
A fun way to get the mind working before a big brainstorming session is via entertaining mind-teasers. Consider a holiday riddle contest at your theatre, or a daily riddle with a small, holiday-themed prize. By opening the door to more creative thinking, you’re empowering your team to succeed in 2024 and beyond.
Your team always needs a benchmark to aim for as they work through the year, which is why sitting down at year-end to explore plausible goals going forward is a great – and often necessary – idea.
Along the same lines, ensuring those goals are achievable means you’re giving your team the support they need. Sure, they can succeed without guidance – but why should they need to? In short, make sure you’re giving your team everything they need to feel empowered for the year ahead.
Schedule a working lunch or gathering with the team and allow every member to express goals they’d like to reach in 2024. If you’ve all got the same mission in mind, goals will likely be similar. Write down each, then circulate and discuss with the team. Number the goals for the year in order of group importance, and have check-ins on how your team members are reaching those goals throughout the year.
By creating collective motivations, your team will feel more inspired to follow through.
Each sector of your organization may feel like its own island on any given day, but some of the most creative solutions are found when everyone works together and perspectives are challenged. Make sure your team members are able to collaborate on projects and goals throughout the year, so the entire unit feels cohesive.
If you’d like to encourage collaboration in a fun setting, consider a relay race, trivia contest, or other competition, where members of different sectors of your organization are put on teams together. The winning team can receive a holiday-centric prize – or just bragging rights. Either way, it’s all about camaraderie!
Motivating and empowering your theatre team is easier with an all-in-one technology platform built specifically for the performing arts. That’s where On The Stage comes in.
On The Stage (OTS) combines a fully integrated suite of tools and resources for the performing arts with everything you need to focus on what matters most: making great art.
Through our platform, directors, producers, box office managers, and patrons are empowered across educational, community, and professional arts programs of all sizes. The best part is – it’s all free!
If you aren’t convinced, consider the following:
Thousands of performing arts organizations already trust OTS to empower them with the technology needed to control their theatres. Now it’s your turn! Book a personalized demo today to get started.