Workplace Advice

[Maestro]

OK, gang... teaching band in a new school this year. It's a bigger (1200 student) high school. Bands are coming along nicely.

I went to the all-city orchestra concert tonight.

Our orchestra was pretty awful. I know that their director is going to ask for my opinion tomorrow, and I'm at a loss. I really don't want to say, "Oh, sounded good," and give a false compliment. But, I really don't want to say, "They weren't really good" either.

Any ideas?

 

[Kestra]

Come up with constructive things that can be done to help the flaws, so you're offering hope and help instead of just putting them down. Don't give a whole list of flaws if you're not asked to. Only be as specific and forthcoming as he wants you to be.

If nothing else, it always helps to couch negative things between good things. "I really liked what X did, that was great. Y could use some work over the next semester. Z seems to be doing a good job."

 

[Gary Mitchell]

When something like this comes up I'll usually say something like "I see a lot of potential".

 

[ngc7293]

Music is like art isn't it? So explain it like art. Look at the good parts and ignore the bad parts. And look at it this way, it can only get better.

 

[Spot's Meow]

It's probably too late for my advice now, but I would turn it back on him, saying something like "You know the students better than I do, how do you think they did? Have you seen improvement?"

That opens it up for him to bring up flaws or things he'd like to change, instead of you mentioning them. Or, if he says the performance was spectacular, it gives you an idea of how crazy he is and if it's best to just play along.

 

[OmahaStar]

Tell him you loved Sister Act, and always wanted to be Mary Clarence. And now is your chance, with a group of musicians in exactly the same situation.

 

[Holdfast]

OK, gang... teaching band in a new school this year. It's a bigger (1200 student) high school. Bands are coming along nicely.

I went to the all-city orchestra concert tonight.

Our orchestra was pretty awful. I know that their director is going to ask for my opinion tomorrow, and I'm at a loss. I really don't want to say, "Oh, sounded good," and give a false compliment. But, I really don't want to say, "They weren't really good" either.

Any ideas?

The classical (pardon the musical pun) advice would be to acknowledge the deficit in a blame-free way and, as much possible, reframe/contextualise the negative within a positive framework for change. The usual "what was done well", "what could be improved", "optimistic target/end-point" technique (the "shit sandwich", if you'll pardon my French).

These days, though, I must admit to personally adopting a rather more direct approach, though of course still couched within a blame-free conversation. I personally find it gets better results than the shit sandwich, but ymmv.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

It depends on how touchy they are about the subject.
By all means it'd be a good idea to stress the positive points to give them a moral boost. While the negative points shouldn't be neglected, you might perhaps be able to paraphrase them so that they aren't offensive. I like the suggestion about the 'great potential'. It says that there is something to improve but at the same time hints that you trust them to be able do actually do so.

If they are not too touchy, you can be straightforward and tell them what was bad, but you should not forget to also tell them what you liked and to give them suggestions of what they might do to improve.