You Can’t Be Your Own Tour Manager
Several years ago I ran a business conference that lost money — not just a little bit of money — a LOT of money. I was angry and embarrassed. I felt foolish for the mismanagement and poor planning. But I was also the leader of the conference that was about to begin. I had to speak and energize people. I had to try to set these feelings aside and create a memorable event for the attendees who’d paid good money for a top-notch event.
I’d gotten so bogged down by the weight of the business, financials, and logistics, that it was really difficult to put myself in the positive, creative, and present mindset I needed in order to do my job.
Cut back to the 1990’s when I played in a touring rock band. When we went out on tour, we brought a tour manager — let’s call him Mike. After driving all day, our van would pull up to the venue. We would wait in the van while Mike went into the club to figure out what the evening had in store for us. He would find the club owner who kept a revolver sitting on his desk, yelling, “I don’t think I’m going to pay you your guarantee! They told me you were going to sell out tonight and we’re not even close!” He would find the sound guy already drunk at the bar who would say, “I saw you guys last time you came through. Your singer can’t sing and your drummer can’t drum. No point in sound-checking. You guys suck.”
Then Mike would come out to van and say, “Okay! The bartender says there’s a good pizza place down the road. Let’s check into the hotel and then get some dinner. The sound guy is a bit of a character, so let’s load in just before doors open. We can just do line checks before the set. Detroit is a great rock town. We had a great audience here last time. Let’s focus on playing a great show.”
Mike is not lying. He’s editing out a bit of superfluous information. He’s taking care of business. He’s worrying about the stuff that needs to be worried about so that we can have the mental space to be who we need to be. We’re not bogged down by the owner or the sound guy. Mike’s got it covered. We can play the show and genuinely enjoy it — fully present and connected with the audience.
Similar situation. Two different results. The touring band is able to go on to the next date and do it all over again. The conference, on the other hand, never happened again.
You can’t be your own tour manager. I see this problem with my business coaching clients a lot. It’s easy to get so bogged down with logistical difficulties that you can’t focus on the things which will pull you out of those very same difficulties. For instance, you can get so caught up in a panic about a lack of sales and slipping financials, that you don’t have the energy to seek out new business.
Certainly, if your business is small, this duality probably can’t be avoided. You need to play both roles. But you should recognize that they are two different roles — each important — but difficult to hold in one person. If you are able to transfer some of these responsibilities to another person — even someone who is less emotionally invested in your business than you are — it can free you up to be the person you need to be. You can let Mike deal with the sound guy so you can focus on the show.
Jeff Robbins is a business coach, mentor, and virtual business partner who works one-on-one with company owners and leaders to help them build vision and direction for their companies while building productivity, stability, and happiness for their employees and themselves. You can work with him too. Reach out to set up a free consultation session.
