We’re going way back - to sometime around 1998 or 1999. On a side note - What a great few years, huh? I’ll always be a 90’s kid at heart, and thinking of what the world looked like then, and being at that perfectly awkward middle school stage, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I was asked recently, what are some work projects that stand out to you..no filtering, no ego. Just projects that you would take on in a heartbeat if given the chance again. I was able to list off a good number of cool strategy, healthcare, design, and innovation projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on over my career. But, what stood out the most was actually not a ‘project’ and it certainly wasn’t for ‘work’:
During Middle School (7th & 8th grades) I was asked if I wanted to be the Stage Manager for the school musical productions the school hosted each year. My piano teacher at the time was also the musical lead, and one of the school’s main production managers. One day after our practice she asked if I was interested, and I agreed but honestly had no idea why she asked me. A story for another time, but if you knew me as a child you know I was NOT eager to be on stage. Backstage “crew”, maybe. But speaking in public, and certainly performing, was not going to happen. If I hadn’t been taking lessons with her, she probably would never had asked me. Either way, unexpectedly, this experience stood out this past week when I was asked about my favorite career moments.
It takes some time before you can see a red thread tying a career together. It takes lots of projects, lots of mistakes, lots of critical conversations, and lots of experiementation to build a library of common behaviors, strengths, and interests that showcase your unique strengths. One thing that I’m now seeing is that I love to connect, and to orchestrate. Some teams have called it Air Traffic Control, others Architect (fun fact: my Myers-Briggs type is called The Architect…so that tracks), others just Manager. But–give me a messy, complicated problem or environment and I love to roll up my sleeves, assess the damage, and get to work organizing, amplifying voices, ensuring best-fit, and tweaking direction. Seeing something come to life is almost magical, like that opening-night performance after a year of private rehearsals.
I’m not going to list off my work, but I see this thread showing up in things like strategy workshops and executive retreat facilitation, building first-of-their-kind products, supporting and co-leading the design of a new clinical startup, even designing a brand system and environment like a recent project helping to build a brand and story around a bookstore. I love being behind the scenes, but directing vision and attaching and connecting critical activities to make the vision a reality.
As an adult, I find it amusing that at age 11 or 12, I was chosen to be the boss with the clipboard and flashlight, making sure the production ran seamlessly and every team knew their orders. I wasn’t the loudest, most direct, or even close to assertive, student in the class. But, maybe…I had influence. It’s a cool concept to think about, because I’ve leaned in to roles requiring indirect authority over and over without even realizing it ever since. Yes, one of my career goals is to lead a team, and I’m sure I’ll get there. But the growth that comes through navigating indirect influence, building trust, developing camaraderie is important also, and it’s something that even back then, even when I didn’t have the loudest voice for stage I somehow figured it out, and still remember it decades later as a standout experience.
And for the record I would absolutely take on a stage manager job today, so if anyone is looking give me a call. My clipboard and flashlight are ready - although maybe it would just be the all-in-one device we all carry around now. I think I’d prefer the late 90’s experience one more time, though.