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Introduction:
In the fast-paced and highly competitive music industry, maintaining a positive and productive team dynamic is crucial for success. However, just like any other industry, there are instances where negative individuals can disrupt the harmony and hinder progress. A recent article by Fast Company titled “What to Do If Your Boss Is Addicted to Drama” provides valuable insights into dealing with such situations. Drawing inspiration from this article, we will explore how the principles of boundary setting, self-care, and avoiding enabling behaviors can be applied to the music industry, where having a negative member on your team can be detrimental.

Setting Boundaries and Maintaining Empowerment:
As musicians and industry professionals, we often encounter individuals who thrive on drama. They may create conflicts, overstate problems, or intentionally generate chaos. When dealing with a boss or someone who is positioned as your team lead or similar role is addicted to drama, it is essential to recognize that their behavior is not personal. Just as the article suggests, we must remember that their internal crises should not dictate our own sense of power and timing.

In the music industry, a drama-addicted team member can be toxic. Their negative energy can spread like wildfire, resulting in conflicts, decreased morale, and a compromised creative process. As professionals, we need to establish boundaries that protect our own well-being and the cohesion of the team. We should commit to completing our tasks efficiently without getting sucked into the drama. By refusing to contribute logs to the fire, we can maintain our own sense of purpose and focus on delivering our best work.

Choosing Positivity and Self-Care:
Working with a drama-addicted boss or team member can be emotionally draining. Their constant need for chaos can be likened to consuming excessive cups of coffee or drugs/alcohol, leaving everyone around them jacked up on negativity. To counterbalance this intensity, it is vital to prioritize our own mental and emotional well-being.

Just as the article suggests, we should take time to “drink water” in the metaphorical sense. In the music industry, this means creating opportunities for self-care and maintaining a sense of movement and breath in our bodies. By staying grounded and settling our energy, we can separate ourselves from the drama-addicted individual and ensure that their energy does not permeate our own creative process.

Preventing a Ripple Effect:
Drama addiction often leads to a cycle of employee turnover and burned bridges with clients. Unfortunately, if we fail to establish boundaries and protect ourselves from the drama, we may become collateral damage. The repercussions of working with a drama-addicted individual can hinder our own professional growth and damage our reputation in the music industry.

As musicians and industry professionals, we must remember that we cannot fix someone else’s addiction to drama. However, we can prevent ourselves from enabling their behavior. By staying focused on our own growth, supporting positive collaborations, and refusing to add fuel to their fire, we maintain our integrity and protect our own careers from being negatively impacted.

Since being a musician if that is your role is essentially your own business you have the power to control the members on your team. If this person is indeed toxic and is bringing your brand down then removal of that person from your team might be the move to make. Please don’t hold onto people just because they “made you” or whatever the individual case may be as that person may have been needed then but now that person is not a good fit. Relationships are tricky but they do change and you have to keep all relationships dynamic. As you grow as an artist that person who brought you to stage 1 and 2 might have been great for that stage of your career but if they can’t bring you to stage 3 and that truth is to much to bare for all of you on the team then of course conversations need to happen, and they must be honest with themselves but if the reaction is negative then it is time to move on from that person or you will be stuck and you will not grow, sorry but it is a fact.

Now the trickier situation is if you are part of a management team or an agency group for example and there lives your toxic superior then you do need to use the topics and strategies outlined above as that is your most likely the only way you make your living and navigating those waters are more problematic as you are more vulnerable in that situation. The music industry is a small world especially the larger involved you are in it, so you have to be the cool and collective person, just know the toxic person will not survive forever in this industry, they will piss off the wrong person and will get booted out. Surround yourself with the positive people but do make sure you are bringing in revenue for the company you work for because if you lack value then you end up being toxic in another way and that is also contagious and dangerous.

So I hope this article helped. If you want us to get involved in your team dynamics and helping you navigate a situation or coach you or your team feel free to reach out to us.

https://www.cybergrooveam.com/consult

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Fast Company link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90900228/what-to-do-if-your-boss-is-addicted-to-drama