One of our primary roles as a tour or production manager is to plan ahead. Well before a tour starts I dissect the routing for travel times, check contracts for confirmed show times, secure the necessary production rentals, and create spreadsheets to keep all these details in order. All of this preparation is crucial to avoiding trouble when its time to hit the road.
But of course no person or plan is perfect and we eventually run into situations where things don’t go as expected. People have asked me what I do in these situations, how do I confront an artist or their management with bad news?
The answer is simple, if not easy. It's not fun telling someone you made a mistake, or for whatever reason things aren’t going as planned. But I’ve found that honesty in these situations is better than the alternative of making excuses or placing blame.
I typically follow these steps when breaking the bad news.
First off, it’s important to remain calm. You’ll think more clearly and instill confidence in those around you if you keep a level head.
The next step is to assess the situation. Our ego wants to focus on who is at fault and where to place the blame, but that doesn’t solve anything. Instead, focus on what went wrong and the steps necessary to remedy the situation.
Once you have a handle on things you can bring the situation to light. The person receiving the news may very well be upset, but an honest explanation and your plan to remedy the situation is often all you need to calm them down.
On the other hand, placing blame, making excuses or flat our lying is just prolonging the inevitable. The truth will come out eventually, so just explain the situation and move forward. Everyone involved will appreciate your honesty.
I speak from experience when I say that even when being honest and straightforward, breaking bad news is never easy. In fact, it's often scary, unpleasant and anxiety-inducing. But I never have trouble sleeping after being honest and upfront. On the other hand, I’ve struggled for days after those instances where I haven’t been completely honest. The people that hire you may not soon forget a costly mistake, but they’ll also remember your honesty and integrity. Take the high road and you’ll be rewarded in the long run.