At one time or another in our careers, we’ve all probably said to ourselves, “If I were in charge, I would handle things differently. I would start focusing on X and stop focusing on Y. I would close a division or let someone go or communicate more effectively or set better goals.”
Everyone—from a mailroom employee to middle-management to higher-ups—has a unique perspective about their jobs. Because we do these jobs every single day, we might have exactly the kind of clarity about what does and does not need to be done to make something better at work.
That reminds me of the 2013 music documentary called Twenty Feet from Stardom. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. If you have, you know it’s about how the women backup singers of songs we all know, and many of us love, are a huge part of music history but they are usually overshadowed by the lead singer / star they are vocally supporting. They are sometimes literally 20 feet from stardom. The documentary looks at how difficult and challenging (and often impossible) it is for these backup singers to move that short distance to their own success as a lead singer, to become a star instead of just having a professional supporting role. If you follow music, you’ve seen people who have achieved the success they dreamed of while working in the background. Others, sadly, failed to make the transition. If you’d like to see a list of famous singers who started as backup vocalists, check this out.
My point here today is this: Supporting roles are important. Vital even. If you have solid suggestions, I encourage you to voice those suggestions in a positive tone and in a way that is helpful to everyone. Presentation is everything—in a company, in a song. If you come across angry, prideful or arrogant, I can promise you that your message will be lost in the presentation. So, how you make your suggestion is as important as the message you are conveying.
Then consider giving a little grace to your executive / president / CEO. I can tell you from years of executive coaching, you don’t know the entire story. Also, the executive might already be working on whatever you’re concerned about but can’t say anything publicly. Or there could be a dozen other reasons why they are not doing what you suggest.
If you feel strongly enough about an issue and you’ve conveyed your opinions and suggestions in a way that is appropriate and helpful and you still feel like what you say is falling on deaf ears, maybe it’s time to go somewhere else. But make sure before you leave that you have, at least, done your best and contributed as much as you can.
In music, as in business, it is often easier to be a backup singer or to not be the one making the big, crucial decisions. Often being the lead singer or the responsible executive is a really hard job. It is rewarding, sure, but it’s also emotionally and physically exhausting. People are watching your every step and looking for any missteps.
Before becoming overly critical, remember that you might one day be in those shoes. How you treat someone else today might be the way others treat you when you are in that same position.
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