One of my avocations is directing choirs. I’m currently preparing an Easter-time performance of Rutter’s Requiem with a small choir of about 20. (Not nearly enough voices, but that’s not relevant to this writing.) My choirs are generally smaller than I’d like. Mostly because I won’t beg grown-up people to sing.
As a PM, you’d think I’d know better and be just fine with begging for resources, and begging resources directly. 
Choirs and Project Teams have a lot in common
Last night, it struck me that one of the challenges with rehearsing a choir is similar to some challenges faced by project teams.
In a volunteer choir, you end up with mix of skills and talents. Invariably, you end up with a certain set of the most talented who think that they don’t need to attend the full rehearsal schedule. Since “they know that piece already” or “they’re quick studies,” they think they can simply show up at the last rehearsal or two, add their considerable talent to the lesser singers, and save the day.
OK, that sounds a little bitter. Let’s try that again.
They feel that there is no particular benefit to them or to the choir for them to show up and sing effortlessly through the early rehearsals where others are learning notes, etc., and all that they or the choir really need from them is to show up for the later rehearsals where the polishing and put-together supposedly happens.
They’re wrong.
Projects are group creative processes
One of the important aspects of a choir is that it’s a group learning effort, a group creative process. That fact is demonstrated by the attendance requirements and policies of the most accomplished of choirs and ensembles, including the likes of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Cambridge Singers, or The King Singers. Each is composed of arguably the best ensemble singers in the world. Certainly, they’re each fully capable singers. Presumably, many of them already know the music being sung in many cases. And they’ll each represent the most “quick studied” among “quick studies.” They learn quickly; they pick up material quickly.
But those are just entry qualifications. From there, the choir begins the group creative process. In these professional groups, if you don’t show up, you’re out. Not showing up cripples that choir’s ability to create what it seeks to create musically.
I think the same principle applies to project teams, and many project team suffer from the same perception among its more talented members.
The project team needs time together to build the vision of the project, develop the project plan, and to manage and respond to risk and change management.
The absentee project team members create rework
The more talented of the team may believe that the rest of the team can do all that soft stuff, then they’ll simply show up at the end to do their part, to deliver their own deliverable. But swooping in at the last minute in a highly-skilled but near-complete ignorance deprives the project and the project team of the group creative effort that makes up a successful, insightful project that creates real value for an enterprise.
And those prima donna singers that show up at the last moment? They completely change the character of the choir, which influences the musical interpretation and the group “rhythm.” Suddenly, the group has to relearn things as a group once a new singer is introduced. Musical entrances and cutoffs have to be adjusted. Relative dynamics may suffer.
It produces a lot of “rework” in a choir. And it does the same on your project when you have absentee team members.
Solutions? You got me…
How do you solve it? Well, I haven’t solved it completely yet. Not in my choirs. And not in my projects. But with this clear metaphor in mind, I think I can manage that risk a bit better in future.
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