The total sum of stories people tell about you

Simplified Map of London
Originally uploaded by Nad

Nick recently had a 'state of the orchestra' discussion with MYO. One point he made was that the orchestra and our organization must serve the needs of everyone involved. A show of hands demonstrated that only 10% of the members plan to major in music. The rest are participating for other reasons. It will be impossible for us to serve every need at every rehearsal and performance. We hope we will be able to serve them all over the course of the season. (Talk to us about it any time.)

The "Really Terrible Orchestra" has obviously filled a need for its members. What's amazing is that its '"really terrible" concerts are always sold out. So it must fill an audience need as well. To me, this orchestra and its followers are an example we should follow. Maximizing the joy of music throughout the performance hall is what we want to do more than anything. If there is a slip in formality or a dip in quality, but there is that spirit of joy bonding the musicians and the audience, we have been successful beyond measure.

As we are developing Scrollworks and telling you all about it, we are examining our core beliefs. Doing what is right is the essential principle that led us to found this organization. Good things have followed. From the Church of the Customer blog:

The best PR comes from the smallest of actions by the root-level people. They smile when they first meet you. They call you by your name. They compliment competitors. They don't blame you for their system's misgivings. When forced to make a decision, they always, always, always do the right thing, even if it's not in the economic or political interests of their employer. They break the rules when it's obvious they must.

That's real PR. It's the total sum of stories people tell about you.

I was glad to see that my niece, Lauren Hewson, completed her obligation to the Estes Park cross-country team despite not enjoying the sport.