by Craig Colby
I watched all eight hours of Get Back, Peter Jackson’s new documentary about the Beatles, for one reason. It was a rare chance to see one of the greatest bands ever do their jobs during one of their most contentious times. I’m fascinated with how people work, particularly creative people. It’s easy to forget that art is the product of labour. It’s work! Watching the Beatles, I found some workplace takeaways we can all apply in our lives.
The Beatles had work life balance
The Beatles worked during the day and went home at night. The work was important, but not to the exclusion of family. All the Beatles wives showed up at one point. Yoko Ono was there the entire time, usually sitting right next to John, silently, as the band worked through the songs. At one point, with a deadline looming, the Beatles decided to work on the weekend, but only on Saturday. They saved Sunday for themselves and their loved ones.
Takeaway – Even culture-shaping work like a new Beatles album takes a back seat to your loved ones. Protect our time with them.
Don’t be the one idea guy
The Beatles weren’t just making an album. They planned to shoot a documentary of the creation of the new album and finish with a live television concert. Michael Lindsay-Hogg oversaw both. The Beatles favoured shooting the concert in a studio or setting up a surprise event, like playing in Parliament until the police threw them out. Lindsay-Hogg was insistent that the Beatles, who had not played a concert in two and a half years, belonged to the world, and the concert should reflect that. He wanted the concert staged at the ruins of an amphitheater in Tripoli. The reception from the band was lukewarm at best, but the director kept pushing, adding helicopter shots and a boatload of fans shipped in from England (perhaps on the Queen Elizabeth II). The Beatles indulged him, but the idea died when John asked who would be footing the bill for this huge production. The longer Lindsey-Hogg hammered at the idea, the more his authority diminished.
Takeaway - Read the room. If an idea isn’t working move on to your next one, and you should have a next one and another one after that.
Sometimes you need to walk
There was tension amongst the Fab Four. Their manager, Brian Epstein, died the previous year, so the man who guided much of their decision making was gone, leaving the Beatles to work things out for themselves. Paul tried to fill the void – which wasn’t always well-received - including creating the current album-documentary-TV show project. Just two weeks had been slotted to complete the songs, then perform. On the seventh day, George and Paul bickered, which was caught on camera.
There are three pillars of workplace happiness, two of which are being appreciated and being heard (we’ll get to the third later). George felt like he was neither. Unhappy with the work dynamic and that it was being filmed, George walked away, leaving a note saying he quit the Beatles.
After an angry jam session, the rest of the Beatles decided to visit George to see if they could work it out. It took two face-to-face negotiations but when the Beatles went back to work, they were in a recording studio, not a sound stage, and the deadline for the project had been extended.
Takeaway – Sometimes you need to leave the table to get the deal you want.
Respect for coworkers
Immediately after George walked, John, clearly upset, suggested replacing him with Eric Clapton. Paul and Ringo didn’t bite. Being a good filmmaker, Lindsey-Hogg sat down with Paul McCartney and his soon-to-be-wife Linda Eastman, and asked about the tension in the band, particularly prodding at Yoko Ono’s constant presence. While Paul acknowledged that it wasn’t ideal, he was quick to explain John’s point of view, that the couple wanted to be together all the time and it wasn’t his place to tell John otherwise. He also said John would choose Yoko over the band. Paul was honest about his own feelings, but empathetic to his coworkers’ too.
So, despite the drama, the Beatles resolved their issues and finished two albums afterwards.
Takeaway – Don’t gossip about your coworkers.
Introduce new talent
Pianist Billy Preston dropped in on the sessions, something George had suggested earlier. When Preston started playing along, the Beatles struggles with the arrangements ended instantly. John was so pleased he called Preston the fifth Beatle. Having a guest in the group may have put the band on their best behaviour too.
Takeaway – Bringing in someone with a fresh take can add a new spark to a stale work environment.
Authority figure needed
When work resumed, George Martin, the Beatles producer was a constant presence, on the periphery wearing a suit. He looked like authority. Martin didn’t weigh in, but it was clear that an arbiter was present. The following sessions were productive.
Takeaways –Sometimes the only contribution a boss needs to make is to be there for support.
Be empathetic
Near the end of the recording, John mentioned to Paul that this project had turned away from Paul’s vision to something the rest of the band wanted. It was an acknowledgement of a partner’s potential disappointment and an opening to talk. Paul looked a little let down but agreed that they needed to do what the group wanted. The exchange was short, respectful and meaningful.
Takeaway – Even if you don’t agree with a colleague, showing you respect their point of view, and their efforts can improve a working relationship.
Be Flexible
The Beatles blew past their two-week deadline, cancelled the live TV show, changed locations and altered the group dynamics. The concert wasn’t played in Tripoli or at Parliament. The crew set up equipment on the roof of the Apple office building and ran wires down to the recording studio. The short concert created the disruption Paul had wanted. The weeks of recording also created all the songs on Let It Be and some on Abbey Road. Despite the challenges the band was facing they created high quality work in volume.
Takeaway – Initial plans and deadlines are often best guesses. Make decisions that will lead to the best product.
Creatives should have the final word
In the end, the band members made the final decisions, which turned out to be the right ones. They cranked out absolute classics – Get Back, Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road, Across the Universe, Two of Us, Oh Darling, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Octopus’s Garden, Something. The Beatles’ final concert, on Apple’s roof, became an iconic moment in their legacy. Filmmaker Lindsay-Hogg took a back seat to everything except production of the documentary. His camera assignment for the concert is bang-on – five cameras to capture the performance on the roof with the Beatles, one on a roof across the street, three in the street to capture the crowd reaction and, the most inspired choice of all, a hidden camera in the reception of the Apple Studios office to capture the inevitable arrival of the police.
Takeaway – Creatives should lead creative endeavors and expertise needs to be respected.
It’s clear from the film that the Beatles were having trouble. That shouldn’t be a surprise. They had been in the same basic work situation for the better part of a decade. Each band member needed to grow (the third pillar of workplace happiness). That meant leading their own projects. The Beatles would break up less than a year later. Still, using healthy workplace practices led to exceptional results.
Takeaway – The Beatles showed us that even in a challenging work environment you can still find ways to Come Together.
Craig Colby is a television executive producer, producer, director, writer and story editor. He runs a storytelling consulting and production service for businesses.
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