It's been a week of getting things done and not getting things done at Just For Laughs. And here's what I noticed as I watched both:
For a project, any project, to be successful, it needs three very distinct people (or groups of people) to pull it off:
1) Conceivers
2) Developers
3) Deliverers
Conceivers are the ones that come up with the root idea, the seed that is planted. Be it the instant Eureka moment or the realizaton after months of reflection, it's where the party starts. But it's just that--only the beginning.
Developers are those who bring the seed to life. They layer ideas on top of the core, solidify the vision but more importantly, lay out the mission ahead.
Deliverers? These are the people that ship, that carry out the plan, that ensure that what once just a glint in someone's eye comes to fruition.
The problem--make that the stark reality--is that it's just about impossible to be good, even competent, at all three.
Two out of three? Never mind "aint bad," Meatloaf; that's a superstar. Jeez, even to be good at one is tough.
But that's our challenge--find who's good, and at which one, and put 'em together once you do. Succeed at that, then sit back and enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately there's another challenge--and that's dealing with the "someone else" who always seems to pop up in the mix:
The critic.
Hey, this ain't bridge; we don't need a fourth. But invited or not, the critic is always there to rear his or her ugly head.
Now, in the rare case of an insightful, constructive differing viewpoint, the critic can be a valuable ally and add-on to a project. But hey, we weren't born yesterday. Most of the time, the critic is a negative pain-in-the-ass, trying to scuttle, not settle, the activity.
So it's not enough just to conceive, develop or deliver--you gotta learn how to do so under attack. Or, as I put it to my friend Jeff Baikowitz when he asked me to describe my job at Just For Laughs:
"It's like trying to raise a 1,000 pound barbell over your head...while someone's kicking you in the shins."
Let' go back to the April Serious Day concept I discussed last week. I came up with the basic idea. David Heurtel and a slew of others added to, refined and re-directed it. Francois Blanchard, Vivien Gaumand and Sylvia DeFrietas delivered, and led the team that delivered, it. And yes, there wasn't 100% buy-in; we had to deal with doubters as well.
So what I learned this week was simple; go back to the top of this post if you wanna take it in again.
But more importantly, here's what you need to learn:
Which one of "The Three" are you?
(Frightening orchestral music goes here)
Or...are you (gasp!) "The Fourth"?