Disciplinary and other issues

[producer]

I am the TD for a high school and a Producer for a church (like a sub TD).
My crew at the school is divided into 3 teams (middle, Jr, and Sr high school) for each of the 3 weekly assemblies. I have repeatedly recieved complaints from the more responsible members that others were doing nothing but sleep or play gameboy in the booth forcing others to work double time. However, when I speak to the problem tech, he professes inocence. I am only able to observe one team each month. How should i deal with this?
Also how is a producer to deal with kids who think they're on the tech staff (but have been kicked off or are not on duty) that have developed "selective hearing"?
Basically I'm looking for suggestions on dealing with unruly young technicians.

[zac850]

I'm assuming that your a staff member.

My sugestion would be to talk to the kids who are still on the staff, give them a chance to clean up there act, but tell them that they will not be allowed up in the booth or anywhere else if they don't do there work.

If they still don't do there work, kick them out of the program. Tell the rest of the crew to call you if they go up in the booth, and just kick them out. If you still have a problem, you might want to talk to some higher staff member, and see what they sugest (and what the school's policy is on things like this).

[avkid]

maintain only a skeleton staff of techs who are highly disciplined and dedicated, and will keep temporary techs in line .for instance our school has 3 "full" time techs , and brings in more as needed for specific events

[producer]

I would love to have a top notch skeleton crew, but sadly I'm running on one right now.

I'm assuming that your a staff member.

Actually, I am going to be a VOLUNTEER staff member this year. I was a student TD lastyear but i graduated. Maybe it'll be easier.
The situation was that when ever I was on "shift" the tech's were angels and things went smoothly. But on the "shifts" that i wasnt on, I would get complaints of slackers. Now that I'm starting University, I'm having less time on shift.

The problem with my "deaf" tech's (including those allready kicked out) is they dont even hear the higher people.

[avkid]

well then as they say, you may very well be screwed

[producer]

*sigh*
Its a pity that corporal punishment isn't allowed. But then again, who's to say that I boobytrapped the controllers to shock at the touch of specific technicians?
hahaha

[sallyj]

When you are not on shift, does that mean that the crew is there without any staff supervision? Do you have a security guard? Is there anybody staffwise responsible there when you are not? If so, give the names of the kids who have been kicked off of tech crew to that person in charge and if they show up, have them removed as loiterers. If not, well, can you have your intact crew ignore them? Pretend they are not there. If they are in the way, document that so after enough proven instances that these people are not only just wasting space there, they are keeping you and the students from doing official school work. It could become a disciplinary issue to a larger degree. It seems like a tough situation.

SJM

[producer]

Generally, my crews are mature enough to do their work without staff supervision. As it is, I'm the only one who's willing to supervise, the teachers who could are always involved with the assemblies. But we'll see when the team starts up again this year. I have a "speech" all prepared. I'll try the ignoring thing. (i feel so cruel....I LOVE IT)

[Foxinabox10]

Try placing a video camera hidden in the booth during an event. Then you'll have cold hard evidence.

[Radman]

Lockout tagout in reverse somehow? Have a time sheet where the student has to sign in and out and write the things they accomplished for the day on it. If someone doesn't write anything or lies they don't get credit. An easy way to tell if they lie is if they say they did it but it's not done, or if other people say they didn't actually do it. Or something like that.

[BigGorilla]

You can also try "grounding them." If I have a technician who is unruly and they work on lights, boom, no cats for a week. If they do the same infraction again...permanent. If you are not allowed in the cats you can't really do lights so...why don't you (unruly technician) go clean the orchestra pit or organize the wood loft or a million other tasks that need to be done yet will make you miserable.

And as for slacking off (sleeping/gameboy/etc.) it's my opinion that it is the same as being unsafe or not there at all. So ground 'em, banish 'em from their first choice of duty, give them a less choice gig...etc.

Tech is a privledge, not a right.

Big Gorilla

[SuperCow]

If you have anyone who's unsettling the rest of the crew, you need to cut the probem off at the source. Tell those who are abusing their prvileges to either shape up or ship out. You don't have the time for dead weight, so cast it over the side.

A streamlined crew is the best option. At m school, there's me, the Sound Board Op, the SM and that's it, aside from the staff TD. We four pretty much run things, and make all the decisions collectively about who to bring on, so each prospective cre member has to be vetted by four people. We weed out those who are serious, from the rest, and put them on.

If a kid in your crew is useless, get rid of him. You don't owe those who do nothing anything.

[producer]

*laughs evily* i feel so powerfull!!!!!! Well, so far this year, no complaints so i may not have to worry about it. YET. i have a feeling that there's going to be trouble later.

[SuperCow]

Pinpoint your potential later sources of trouble and deal with it. If you can see it coming, why let it happen?

[ship]

If as described this is happening with people on shows you are not in charged of or supervising at those times, I don’t think there is a lot directly you can or should do about it besides bringing the problem to the attention of their supervisor. Not your place to enforce discipline on other people’s crews nor enforce what is going on when you are not there or responsible.

If these crew people who are taking advantage of their status work under your supervision at times you can express a knowledge of what they are doing and recommend that they get off their rears and help others, but in the end the enforcement of the crew is on the crew chief of the shows they are mis-behaving on and it is better not to step on the toes of the crew chief unless they are the person on the crew that needs replacement - another ball game in itself. Given this is the case where the crew chief allows it, there is not a lot you can or should do about it other than providing a safe haven for those looking for your leadership at times when you are in charged. Some times such things just happen on crews where it’s not fair or equal, that’s life and there in the end is nothing holding the working crew members from voicing their complaints to their direct crew chief, putting their foot down and either boycotting select days or jobs or just quitting given they can’t join your crew. Given half the crew has a problem and would leave, I’m sure the point would be made sufficiently, if not than they have to make the choice of living with it or not. Nothing you can or should do about someone else’s crew.

That’s part of being staff. Believe me I see people clowning around and being dead weight all the time at work. I might try to inspire those being the problem in private discussions some advice but it’s not as a boss as this is not the role I play for the most part. Frequently given I’m staff but not necessarily their direct boss those being problematic will open up to me and the discussion will be useful in helping them without their job being on the line.
This is also the case with those effected by the lame work force. I’m a sounding board for the worker’s in similar situations as you describe - stuff like all he does is sit at his desk or constantly talk on his phone while I’m doing all the work, or he spends half the day just pulling bolts while I’m slinging cable. I listen, offer advice where possible as someone outside of the chain of command, but don’t stick my nose into it unless the problem is on something I supervise - safety and standards. Frequently someone to talk to that is outside the chain of command on behalf of both parties can be useful as long as they don’t get directly involved with more than advice. On the other hand, the moment there is a problem within my area of supervision, I’m up like a light in enforcing policy no matter who they are. I don’t care how hard you work or not, as long as the gear is safe and done properly. This limited scope helps ensure what I say is listened to also.

When asked by the shop manager about people under him, I tell him frankly what I note, and we do have these discussions infrequently about the people he is in charged of. If a serious problem I might drop by his office and mention a problem in an off the cuff way, but not really attempt to tell him how to run his people. This works well in that because I’m not going to directly get involved, I am a better sounding board for people to vent or get advice with, and because there is only one crew chief there is no chain of command or leadership problems in that area for discipline.
That’s the system that works for me and what advice I might offer might work for you. Remember also that when I discuss things with the crew chief, it’s off the cuff and not a formal challenge to his authority. You have to be tactful with how you approach other leaders with problems they are in charged of because it often is not your business. Be tactful especially if you are junior in time in grade or status because how you deal with other staff at this time will effect how you both get along in the future.

Talking about supervision issues, I am a student in High School (a Senior), yet my school has hired me to be "Assistant Technical Directer" (with a teacher holding the Technical Director position). This teacher is always teaching a class or not availble after school, so in many cases I am the top of the chain of command during shows (believe it or not, when rental groups come in on the weekend, I can be the only person employed by the school on the premisis (ya, they even gave me my own keys!))

As a school, one of the goals of the Preforming Arts Center is to get students involved with production, but I have also been put in the position where I have had to ask a person not to come back because of their fooling arround on the job. The one person who really didnt want to leave got a seat next to me turning pages in my script (while i ran sound and lights at the same time).

The one other thing I have done is given a person who was fooling arround a position of greator responsibility, and as soon as they mess up, I have someone more responsibile switch into their position, which kinda gives them the hint that they better get their act together if they want to keep working in the Auditorium.