Beyond the Solo Act
Mise-en-Scène Principles for Team Success
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
- Ryunosuke Satoro
Beyond the Solo Act
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
In filmmaking there is an expression, mise-en-scène (pronounced meez ahn sen), which means “everything in the frame must make sense.” It’s like assembling a puzzle and getting all the visual pieces right to tell a complete and compelling story. The concept of mise-en-scène isn't just for the big screen; it's also a useful approach to leadership. This is the job of a leader – all your team members are important and they must be in focus.
Think of your team as a movie scene – everyone is a character with a role to play. Just as a director arranges props, lighting, and actors for maximum impact, your team needs a clear plan and coordinated efforts. Paying attention to the nitty-gritty details is as significant as getting the camera angles right. Success isn't a solo act; it's a collective effort where each team member contributes, just like each piece of a scene matters.
Here are three ideas drawn from the concept of mise-en-scène to consider when working with your teams:
A we - not me - team-first approach. Just as every element in a film’s frame contributes to the overall scene, every member of a team plays a role in achieving collective success.
Align with your purpose/goals. In mise-en-scène, visual elements are aligned to support the story. Team members must align their efforts and actions with the team's vision.
Don’t forget the little things - details matter. Attention to detail in filmmaking enhances the overall quality of a scene. Paying attention to details on teams contributes to the degree of a team's success. Show appreciation. Say thank you. Recognize others for their contributions.
“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team.”
- Reid Hoffman
Connecting this quote to the story. Despite individual talent, the collective strength of a team, similar to the coordinated elements in mise-en-scène, will bring about greater success.
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Every team member is important and has their unique strengths and value. It’s a leader’s job to ensure each individual knows her or his significance on the team through specific and frequent communication.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2024