Be The Fifth Beatle
Photo by Neil Martin on Unsplash
George Martin is often referred to as The Fifth Beatle for the contributions he made to the band’s recording process.
Without question, the core of their creative genius came from the four band members themselves, but there’s no doubt he facilitated and enabled their creativity in very real, very direct ways. From the classical instrumentation we hear in so many of their songs to pushing the technical envelope with the technology available to them at the time.
It was truly a remarkable partnership. Paul McCartney himself once said that other producers might have brushed the band’s crazy ideas and their constant questioning aside, telling them to just focus on getting the record done. But not Martin. He encouraged, considered, educated the band. He explained the nuances, he gave them the room to experiment, and he pushed the envelope with them.
It’s a direct testament to the value of intentioned collaborators and mentors - which, by the way, includes us all.
Our colleagues will often come to us with ideas, suggestions or new opportunities. And, in those instances, it’s easy to suggest we just ‘get on with our work’ or our established way of doing things. It’s easy to focus on efficiency and the so-called “direct route”, brushing aside the curiosity of our team members.
This is how it works. This is the path I took. This discussion is a waste of time. So let’s get on with it.
But often, that doesn’t result in anything greater than the sum of its parts. There’s no radical change or exponential outcome. There’s also no deeper respect, rapport or partnership as a team, which is as important as the tangible end result.
The fact is, that we each have an opportunity to play this role with our colleagues - regardless of reporting lines or hierarchies. We have the choice to encourage, discourage or ignore. We have the chance to take a moment to share our knowledge without judgement. We have the opportunity to make a difference.
We’d do well to remember that. We spend so much of our time trying to be a Beatle, we can’t forget that we should also be someone’s George Martin.
