Staff behavior concerns...examples/solutions

[rainshdw08]

There used to be standing ovations in the middle of shows...because there were impact points in the middle of shows. For you to blame it on the fans...that's pretty funny. When half the shows are more like symphonic band concerts, the fans in the stands will react like the audience at a symphonic band concert. Polite applause at the end of the show. You want screaming fans, then write impact points into your shows!

Sir, I couldn't agree with you more! This is something that is being addressed this year somewhat by DCI, but this isn't the thread for my entire comments...so I'll start a new one.

[skywhopper]

You can talk, just shouldn't only talk. That's lame.

Sometimes talking is all I want to do about something. I've had staff bug me in the audience, but most of the time, they don't. So I really just want to gripe and commiserate and move on.

But if specific staff are being particularly rude during a show, I agree, the right course is to contact the corps and file a real complaint, and not bring it here.

[WOOHOO]

Sometimes talking is all I want to do about something. I've had staff bug me in the audience, but most of the time, they don't. So I really just want to gripe and commiserate and move on.

But if specific staff are being particularly rude during a show, I agree, the right course is to contact the corps and file a real complaint, and not bring it here.

That's fair enough. I like to gripe too.

[mahler444]

I think the viewpoint on staff behavior is going to vary widely based upon which organization a person has experience with - having had siblings in various corps I find that many inappropriate behaviors are ignored in the name of maintaining staff members willing to work for next to nothing or staff members who attain strong competitive results. This is not the place to sight specifics. If it were, this thread would fill up quickly.

An underlying cause for inappropriate staff behaviors is sometimes the lack of ability or action on the part of executive leadership in some corps regarding mentoring instructors to become LEADERS. As I have explained to many young people, it is often the instructor who berates members the soonest who is likely to have the least leadership ability (as opposed to instructional ability). Unfortunately, staff members that are "at a loss" to attain results tend to have the most negative behavior. On the "flip side" there are instructors who get certain results through intimidation, but that is because they are intellectually and artistically at a loss to do so any other way. There are great corps out there who come so close to "medaling" or winning, but the "longest yard" for them is the fact that their instructional staff is misaligned and lacks clear leadership.

Jason

Fair enough. I especially agree with your second paragraph. When I think back to marching, the best staff (at least in my mind) were the ones who got you to do things without degrading you, and the ###### ones were the people who only knew how to be negative. That holds true, now that I think about it, being on the other side of the coin (the teaching side). I just think we need to be careful on here not to paint everyone with the same brush, and maybe I was being too defensive about it earlier, but it just seemed like most people thought these were universal problems. I think the opposite. I think they are isolated issues and should be dealt with as such. Maybe I have been lucky with the people I work with so my perception is different?

[WOOHOO]

I think the viewpoint on staff behavior is going to vary widely based upon which organization a person has experience with - having had siblings in various corps I find that many inappropriate behaviors are ignored in the name of maintaining staff members willing to work for next to nothing or staff members who attain strong competitive results. This is not the place to sight specifics. If it were, this thread would fill up quickly.

An underlying cause for inappropriate staff behaviors is sometimes the lack of ability or action on the part of executive leadership in some corps regarding mentoring instructors to become LEADERS. As I have explained to many young people, it is often the instructor who berates members the soonest who is likely to have the least leadership ability (as opposed to instructional ability). Unfortunately, staff members that are "at a loss" to attain results tend to have the most negative behavior. On the "flip side" there are instructors who get certain results through intimidation, but that is because they are intellectually and artistically at a loss to do so any other way. There are great corps out there who come so close to "medaling" or winning, but the "longest yard" for them is the fact that their instructional staff is misaligned and lacks clear leadership.

Jason

I agree with you except for one thing. I don't think all people who use intimidation tactics are doing so because they are incapable of doing anything else. Some people just simply need to be intimidated to produce, especially the age group that participates in drum corps. I'm not one of those people who need that motivation, but anyone who has taught at any level knows that every student needs something different to be motivated. While it is unfortunate that not everyone responds to positive reinforcement, you do what you gotta do.

Now, I'm not saying I'm condoning embarrassing or humiliating students, forceful words go a long way with some people.

[GUARDLING]

I agree with you except for one thing. I don't think all people who use intimidation tactics are doing so because they are incapable of doing anything else. Some people just simply need to be intimidated to produce, especially the age group that participates in drum corps. I'm not one of those people who need that motivation, but anyone who has taught at any level knows that every student needs something different to be motivated. While it is unfortunate that not everyone responds to positive reinforcement, you do what you gotta do.

Now, I'm not saying I'm condoning embarrassing or humiliating students, forceful words go a long way with some people.

I agree totally..........it would be nice if all students could betreated the same BUT all dont react the same. Personally I preferNOTto jump all over someone and will try my best not to have to do that BUT some thats all they understand. Its not like years ago when I marched that you just shut up, listened and wouldnt dare talk back or question your instructor.

In many ways we have become a very soft society. If you yeall at your kid DCF is called...even by some kids, I'm in the Psych field also and believe me thers sometimes I wanna say ( not that I condone hitting ) but a good old fashioned back hand from a parent may be in order.

Sometimes I also think we dont prepare young people for the real world if we are to soft. I know as a boss, do as I say and do it right, NO seconed chances and Im not gonna sit and baby you. and drum corps taught me alot of that. JMO

NOW, on the other hand I also know many instructors who yell just for the sake of yelling.. I always say to them.....WERE YOU BEAT UP IN HIGH SCHOOL...many times those people were never heard and now have some authority and abuse it....JUST BE BE HEARD

Edited July 8, 2011 by GUARDLING

[cowtown]

Ya know, if I have a problem with someone in the crowd first I try my evil cow glare, second, I’d loudly comment to the person next to me hoping the offender over-hear my complaint, thirdly I would address it directly with the offender, politely but firmly and finally…if I could take the dude I go all cowtown on them and become part of the problem but if they were bigger, scarier than me, I’d go to an usher

And finally, if nothing worked….I’d go on DCP and whine more so if I didn’t like the corps show that year

The only time I can recall going to an usher was finals 2006 and it was due to a family bringing in their massive stadium seats with cup holders and taking up way to much space as they’d poured into my seats, couldn’t even put my legs down – and yeah, I did whine on DCP about it (good times)

[KAW]

There was a posting somewhat similar to this last year more broadly about how the staff "shows up" both at contests and rehearsals. I believe some do a good job at this and others do a horrible job. The staff represents the organization and what it stands for, how they look and how they behave is a direct reflection of that.

As for the instructors who go running wildly into the stands and then proceed to cheer louder than any memeber's own mom, I have a theory. It's most likely an unpopular theory so when you flame me I won't be surprised...Instructors who behave this way aren't comfortable letting their students be the sole performer and allowing them to get all the credit from the audience. It's how the instructor injects him / herself into the special relationship between the performer and the audience.

Staff / Instructors: You're students work harder than you do. Let them have that relationship with their fans without you being a distraction.

I don't believe all instructors who behave like this do so for this reason, but I think it happens a lot.