How getting organised will set your band free
Do any of these situations sound familiar to you?
… you lie in your bed at night with an anxious stream of thoughts about the tasks your band needs to do, or maybe didn’t do. You fear that you might forget them in the morning.
… you frantically look through folders on your computer for an important file that you forgot where you put. Was it in fact you who saved it, or did one of your band mates?
Trust me, we have all been there. While these are not life or death circumstances, it can be extremely taxing to feel behind or out of control, and sometimes it can lead to mistakes, misunderstandings or missed opportunities. Hopefully nothing crucial right?
The solution to these situations is obviously to get really organised. But let’s be very frank about it, it can feel like you’re putting in a lot of extra work to keep things tidy.
And with busy schedules, and busy, creative minds, taking the time out to get organised can be an extremely daunting task - which is why most bands don’t really venture into doing it.
However, there are more pros than cons about getting organised in your band and we hope to convince you why throughout this article. Let’s start by looking at what being disorganised looks like, and compare it to running things in an organised manner.
What disorganised looks like
In a disorganised band, there is a lack of organisation, communication and structure. No-one has the fainted clue about what is being done, by who and at what time. It can often be caused by people trying to keep important tasks or to-do lists in their memory, rather than writing it down in a place accessible to everyone. It is also a symptom of a poor management and a lack of goal-setting and role-definition.
Here are a few more signs of a disorganised band:
People are chronically running late.
There is no clarity about who does what in the band.
People feel stressed out and find it hard to stay motivated.
People work with scattered focus and lack intention.
People often forget their responsibilities, and put the blame on others.
People miss deadlines or always reach them last minute.
There is no measurable goals or direction in place.
People don’t see a need for improving their systems or processes.
People are struggling to find time to practice their instruments.
The band is not making as much progress as expected or hoped for.
Sadly, this is a common pattern for a lot of the bands we’ve met and talked to in the past.
It’s not that people don’t necessarily work hard on writing music and solving tasks, but it’s the fact that it is done ad hoc and mindlessly, without proper planning or intention.
These types of bands often become stagnant in their progress, and may even quit because nothing works effectively for them. And we don’t blame them! There’s not really any resources where bands can learn this kind of stuff, and so unless they stumble upon the mindset of getting organised in other parts of their lives, they may never know. Until now!
Let’s see what it means to be an organised band and what that it could look like instead.
What organised looks like
An organised band has systems in place to accompany their growth. It relies on data, processes and digital tools to assist them in making progress. The members of the band have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and they meticulously track their tasks and projects to ensure they are completed to a high standard of quality. An organised band has frequent and intentional communication with each other and external collaborators, and make sure to keep each other accountable.
Here are some more signs of an organised band:
They never run out of content to post or music to release.
They work with focus and intention on their tasks and projects.
They maintain concise and clear communication with each other and their external partners.
They have clearly defined, long-term goals in place and know how to achieve them.
They work with a significant amount of automation using digital tools and processes to aid them.
They make notable progress in the world of music and attract professional partnerships.
They are stress-free at most times and maintain a healthy work environment.
Discussions about money are usually constructive and transparent.
They enjoy being part of a band.
Just to be very clear, we don’t mean to brag that our own bands have works like this at all times. It’s a fact that playing in a band can be chaotic and unpredictable. However, we are always striving towards this type of organisation, and working on improving our systems and organisation - and we’ve definitely met musicians and bands who maintain this kind of high standard.
Our hope is that you and your band will also become part of the movement of super highly organised bands who can help us change the notorious reputation of musicians being disorganised and lazy. We certainly aren’t, and you don’t need to be either.
But don’t be fooled, it doesn’t come neither easily nor automatically, but instead requires determination and a constant input of work to get organised - especially if you’re an established band that already works in a certain way. But fear not, we’ve made it our mission to make it as easy as possible and give you all of the tools you need to get started. We are of the belief that getting organised in your band will set you free to become more creative, more productive and more successful in your journey as a musician and as a band.
Ready to take your band to the next level?
The best way to stay on top of things in your band is organising your work in a shared workspace.
This is most easily done using the Arachnid BandOS!