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Written by Dorothy Fast
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Friday, 16 September 2011 21:13 |
Ask me anything - no, really!
I am a long time OM coach. For the last couple years I helped run a workshop for other coaches (mostly first year) on stagecraft. At one workshop I had a conversation that I found a little disturbing. It was a brief side conversation with another coach who felt uncomfortable/defensive about another coach asking them about rehearsals, schedules, etc. I didn't say much (coward!), but I felt I should have.
So I want to put my two cents in about competition in OM.
Over the years I have had the privilege of meeting some of the best teams (aka the ones who consistently place in the top six at world) and they are among the most generous teams that I meet. They have been very forthcoming with information, pictures, etc. - always willing to talk to you and give information.
In short, the top teams do not worry about competition - they welcome it.
This is why I give my information away freely. I know that not all teams will treat the information the same. Not all coaches will treat the information the same. And it makes me happy to see kids reach goals that they didn't even know were there - to go farther than they thought possible. And having seen the world finals, I trust the judges.
The teams I work with have a familiar trajectory - their performances were ok, but then they saw their competition. After that, they had a rival and something to work toward. After that, they had a goal, and got better.
So for coaches who are being approached by other coaches with questions? Answer them. You don't have to be over specific, but mostly the other coach is looking for affirmation that they are doing the fight thing/are going in the right direction. They want to know if other coaches are having issues with a certain part of the problem, or certain inter-team communications, or just having the same experience that they are. Or maybe they are just having a bad day. It does your team no favor (and sets a bad example) to let another team fail when you can help them.
We are all in this together. Help where you feel comfortable, and assume the best about your cohorts. Because the other coach is not your rival. You and the other coach are not competing. Let me repeat that - you and the other coach are not competing. It does your team no favor to reduce your competition. You are both trying to help your teams be the best they can - and sometimes that means raising the tide, and not just the boat.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 14:37 |
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