Now let’s move on to Joe’s top “don’ts” for the successful A2:
— Don’t be that A2. Understand that our actions can impact others, and again, wireless systems are definitely one of the areas to watch for in particular.
— Don’t dress unprofessionally and don’t neglect personal hygiene – both of these things can negatively affect interactions with clients. We want them to feel confident in our abilities, and these simple things provide some non-verbal ways to accomplish it – or not.
— Never lose your cool under any circumstances, and further, never project a less-than-positive attitude. Sure, things go wrong, sometimes clueless folks are in charge, and the aforementioned cowboy in the room next door blows away your frequency coordination. Take it in stride and then tell the story later at the bar.
— Do not let pride or embarrassment get in the way of fixing something. Sometimes it’s simply an apology that’s needed, and sometimes it’s finding a way to fix a dangly earring that’s knocking against a headworn mic element and about to cause everyone to hear a distracting noise for the next 90 minutes. (Ask me how I know…)
— Don’t allow a dead battery to cost your job – check early and check often.This is paramount: don’t let the temptation of the coffee from the green room cause a problem for your employment. The same goes for the sushi and open bar on gala night – it’s a matter of professionalism.
Moral Of The Story
Joe wrapped up our conversation with some additional perspective:
“As a practicing corporate A1, it’s my considered opinion that the corporate A2 has one of the most critical and sometimes underrated positions on any in production. In today’s professional climate, a corporate A2 must be adept at many skills, from RF and comm management to miking a rock band, and much more.
“You may be striking the lecterns and presenter playback inputs more than one time each day as well as setting for up for a dance band later that evening and then for a jazz trio next. Changeover time was never considered in the initial labor-billing estimate and yet somehow it becomes your problem.
“Then there are the times you’ll be the last person presenters sees before they hit the stage to face more people than most of us feel comfortable speaking in front of, so it’s vital to exude a calming effect. To put it bluntly, A2s hold an enormous amount of responsibility in their hands, and they must handle the pressure with nothing less than calm professionalism.
“As we used to say in the air force: ‘We, the willing, led by the unknowing, have done so much with so little for so long that we’re now qualified to do anything with nothing.’ And remember: your A1 is counting on it.”