General Omar Bradley in World War II

General Omar Bradley in World War II General of the Army Omar N. Bradley was a key American officer during World War II and later filled in as the principal Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Moving on from West Point in 1915, he served stateside during World War I before progressing through the positions during the interwar years. With the start of World War II, Bradley prepared two divisions before serving under Lieutenant General George S. Patton in North Africa and Sicily. Known for his downplayed nature, he earned the moniker the G.I. General and later instructed the First U.S. Armed force and twelfth Army Group in Northwest Europe. Bradley assumed a focal job during the Battle of the Bulge and coordinated American powers as they crashed into Germany. Early Life Conceived at Clark, MO on February 12, 1893, Omar Nelson Bradley was the child of teacher John Smith Bradley and his better half Sarah Elizabeth Bradley. In spite of the fact that from a poor family, Bradley got quality training at Higbee Elementary School and Moberly High School. After graduation, he started working for the Wabash Railroad to win cash to go to the University of Missouri. During this time, he was prompted by his Sunday teacher to apply to West Point. Sitting the section tests at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Bradley put second however made sure about the arrangement when the primary spot finisher couldn't acknowledge it. West Point Entering the foundation in 1911, he immediately took to the academys restrained way of life and before long demonstrated skilled at sports, baseball specifically. This affection for sports meddled with his scholastics, anyway he despite everything figured out how to graduate 44th in a class of 164. An individual from the Class of 1915, Bradley was cohorts with Dwight D. Eisenhower. Named the class the stars fell on, 59 of the class individuals at last became commanders. World War I Dispatched as a subsequent lieutenant, he was presented on the fourteenth Infantry and saw administration along the US-Mexico outskirt. Here his unit upheld Brigadier General John J. Pershings Punitive Expedition which entered Mexico to repress Pancho Villa. Elevated to first lieutenant in October 1916, he wedded Mary Elizabeth Quayle two months after the fact. With the US section into World War I in April 1917, the fourteenth Infantry, at that point at Yuma, AZ, was moved to the Pacific Northwest. Presently a commander, Bradley was entrusted with policing copper mines in Montana. Urgent to be alloted to a battle unit making a beeline for France, Bradley mentioned an exchange a few times yet without any result. Made a significant in August 1918, Bradley was eager to discover that the fourteenth Infantry was being conveyed to Europe. Arranging at Des Moines, IA, as a component of the nineteenth Infantry Division, the regiment stayed in the United States because of the peace negotiation and flu pandemic. With the U.S. Armys after war grounding, the nineteenth Infantry Division was remained down at Camp Dodge, IA in February 1919. Following this, Bradley was point by point to South Dakota State University to show military science and returned to the peacetime rank of skipper. Quick Facts: General Omar N. Bradley Rank: General of the ArmyService: U.S. ArmyBorn: February, 12, 1893 in Clark, MODied: April 8, 1981 in New York, NYParents: John Smith Bradley and Sarah Elizabeth BradleySpouse: Mary Elizabeth Quayle, Esther BuhlerConflicts: World War II, Korean WarKnown For: D-Day (Operation Overlord), Operation Cobra, Battle of the Bulge Interwar Years In 1920, Bradley was presented on West Point for a four-year visit as an arithmetic teacher. Serving under then-Superintendent Douglas MacArthur, Bradley dedicated his leisure time to examining military history, with a unique enthusiasm for the crusades of William T. Sherman. Intrigued with Shermans crusades of development, Bradley presumed that huge numbers of the officials who had battled in France had been deluded by the experience of static fighting. Therefore, Bradley accepted that Shermans Civil War battles were more applicable to future fighting than those of World War I. Elevated to major while at West Point, Bradley was sent to the Infantry School at Fort Benning in 1924. As the educational plan focused on open fighting, he had the option to apply his speculations and built up a dominance of strategies, landscape, and fire and development. Using his earlier examination, he graduated second in his group and before numerous officials who had served in France. After a concise visit with the 27th Infantry in Hawaii, where he become a close acquaintence with George S. Patton, Bradley was chosen to go to the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1928. Graduating the next year, he accepted the course to be dated and deadened. Withdrawing Leavenworth, Bradley was appointed to the Infantry School as an educator and served under future-General George C. Marshall. While there, Bradley was intrigued by Marshall who supported giving his men a task and letting them achieve it with negligible impedance. In depicting Bradley, Marshall remarked that he hushed up, unassuming, able, with sound presence of mind. Outright constancy. Give him an occupation and overlook it. Profoundly affected by Marshalls strategies, Bradley received them for his own utilization in the field. In the wake of going to the Army War College, Bradley came back to West Point as an educator in the Tactical Department. Among his understudies were the future chiefs of the US Army, for example, William C. Westmoreland and Creighton W. Abrams World War II Begins Elevated to lieutenant colonel in 1936, Bradley was brought to Washington two years after the fact for obligation with the War Department. Working for Marshall, who was made Army Chief of Staff in 1939, Bradley served asâ assistant secretary of the General Staff. In this job, he attempted to recognize issues and created answers for Marshalls endorsement. In February 1941, he was elevated legitimately to the transitory position of brigadier general. This was done to permit him to expect order of the Infantry School. While there he advanced the arrangement of heavily clad and airborne powers just as built up the model Officer Candidate School. With the US section into World War II on December 7, 1941, Marshall approached Bradley to plan for other obligation. Provided order of the reactivated 82nd Division, he directed its preparation before satisfying a comparative job for the 28th Division. In the two cases, he used Marshalls approach of improving military principle to make it simpler for recently enlisted resident officers. What's more, Bradley used an assortment of procedures to ease draftees progress to military life and lift confidence while additionally executing a thorough program of physical preparing. Therefore, Bradleys endeavors in 1942, created two completely prepared and arranged battle divisions. In February 1943, Bradley was relegated order of X Corps, yet before taking the position was requested to North Africa by Eisenhower to investigate issues with American soldiers in the wake of the annihilation at Kasserine Pass. <img information srcset=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/g5phvxBlCAyx8duNBzHussjKS_g=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-86325-b28c0ec1daf6466ea065ebb328c0304a.jpeg 300w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/yyILmEdP8BTYV75QRXiRgMwKgZI=/515x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-86325-b28c0ec1daf6466ea065ebb328c0304a.jpeg 515w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/r3hivGEpVkOmj9gsS2ELZWEsaSg=/730x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-86325-b28c0ec1daf6466ea065ebb328c0304a.jpeg 730w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/6FNGap2ZTDModewCXTtASq-4-8E=/1160x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-86325-b28c0ec1daf6466ea065ebb328c0304a.jpeg 1160w information src=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/G5nvF-2wQrRBP3U0VYYQxqLIhIM=/1160x926/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-86325-b28c0ec1daf6466ea065ebb328c0304a.jpeg src=//:0 alt=Bradley on the way to Sicily class=lazyload information click-tracked=true information img-lightbox=true information expand=300 id=mntl-sc-square image_1-0-32 information following container=true /> Lieutenant General Omar Bradley on the route scaffold of USS Ancon (AGC-4), in transit to the intrusion of Sicily, 7 July 1943. With him is Captain Timothy Wellings, USN. US Naval History and Heritage Command North Africa Sicily Showing up, Bradley suggested that Patton be provided order of the U.S. II Corps. This was done and the tyrant officer before long reestablished the units discipline. Turning out to be Pattons representative, Bradley attempted to improve the battling characteristics of the corps as the crusade progressed. As a consequence of his endeavors, he rose to order of II Corps in April 1943, when Patton withdrew to help in arranging the intrusion of Sicily. For the rest of the North African Campaign, Bradley capably drove the corps and reestablished its certainty. Filling in as a component of Pattons Seventh Army, II Corps initiated the assault on Sicily in July 1943. During the crusade in Sicily, Bradley was found by writer Ernie Pyle and advanced as the G.I. General for his unprepossessing nature and partiality for wearing a typical troopers uniform in the field. D-Day In the wake of the achievement in the Mediterranean, Bradley was chosen by Eisenhower to lead the main American armed force to land in France and to be set up to in this manner assume control over a full armed force gathering. Coming back to the United States, he built up his base camp at Governors Island, NY and started collecting staff to help him in his new job as administrator of the First U.S. Army. Returning to Britain in October 1943, Bradley partook in the getting ready for D-Day (Operation Overlord). <img information srcset=https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/5oLb-uaemuixJn6F6SAZ7YaxU3s=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/80-G-252940-667b654f5b5f49999998471463cb4cf1.jpeg 300w, https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/V4LxdUS5rJDONLLISc

Poe Compare and Contrast Essay free essay sample

The narratives are diverse with respect to the characters, on the grounds that in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death,† the main characters are Prince Prospero, and the â€Å"stranger,† who was the red demise. While in â€Å"The Black Cat,† the characters were the storyteller, the narrator’s spouse, Pluto, and the new feline. These characters make the story extraordinary, in light of the fact that in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death,†the character’s are extremely upscale, and regal, while the characters in â€Å"The Black Cat,† are a regular family, which is entirely relatable. None of us have ever been a ruler, or a princess, so I discover it is simpler to interface with â€Å"The Black Cat†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s regular characters. Another way the characters make the accounts unique, is the manner by which they are really various species. In spite of the fact that there are people in the two stories, the creature characters in â€Å"The Black Cat,† shake up the story and make it not quite the same as all the rest. The content says this regarding the creature character Pluto: â€Å" and a feline. This last was a strikingly enormous and excellent creature, altogether dark, and canny to a shocking degree. † Poe 2. The character who stirs up the â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† story, was actually, the red demise character. This is an alternate character, since you don't have the foggiest idea whether he is, in certainty a genuine character, or in the event that he is only the malady. Toward the start, the story says, †The Red Death had since quite a while ago crushed the nation. No plague had ever been so lethal, or so hideous†. Poe 1. At that point, toward the end, the demise is spoken to by a veiled character. â€Å"The figure was tall and skinny, and covered from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The cover which hid the appearance was made so about to look like the face of a hardened carcass that the nearest investigation probably experienced issues in distinguishing the cheat. But then this may have been suffered, if not endorsed, by the distraught revelers around. In any case, the mummer had ventured to such an extreme as to expect the kind of the Red Death. His vesture was fiddled with bloodand his expansive temple, with all the highlights of the face, was besprinkled with the red awfulness. † Poe 3. The accounts are distinctive with respect to the setting, on the grounds that the â€Å"Masque of the Red Death† story happens in Prince Prospero’s château, during the evening at a disguise ball. The story happens in the 1800’s. My verification of this is, â€Å" e called to his essence a thousand sound and happy companions from among the knights and ladies of his court, and with these resigned to the profound withdrawal of one of his castellated convents . † Poe 1. The â€Å"Black Cat† story happens in the narrator’s home, in the 1800’s. My evidence of this is, â€Å"I alone took care of him, and he w ent to me any place I approached the house. It was even with trouble that I could keep him from finishing me the avenues. â€Å" Poe 3. These are two altogether different settings, and make the tales strange from one another. The setting of a story is significant in light of the fact that it influences how, and if the occasions will occur. The setting could make a huge difference in a story. These accounts are distinctive concerning the contention, in light of how the contention is made, and why there is strife. In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† the contention was brought about by a sickness. The contention is brought about by the ailment, on the grounds that despite the fact that the ruler attempted to forestall it, the â€Å"red death† took his life at long last. My evidence is, â€Å"And now was recognized the nearness of the Red Death. He had come without anyone noticing. What's more, individually dropped the revelers in the blood-bedewed lobbies of their revel, and kicked the bucket each in the miserable stance of his fall. What's more, the life of the coal black check went out with that of the remainder of the gay. What's more, the flares of the tripods lapsed. Also, Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable domain over all. † Poe 10. In the â€Å"Black Cat,† a cat is causing the narratives struggle. The anonymous feline caused the contention by honestly playing with the narrator’s brain, and winding his feelings. This in the long run makes the storyteller attempt and slaughter the feline, however rather executes his significant other. My confirmation is, â€Å"One day she went with me, upon some family unit task, into the basement of the old structure which our destitution constrained us to possess. The feline tailed me down the precarious steps, and, almost tossing me fast, exasperated me to frenzy. Inspiring a hatchet, and overlooking, in my fury, the infantile fear which had until now remained my hand, I pointed a blow at the creature which, obviously, would have demonstrated immediately deadly had it slipped as I wished. However, this pass up the hand of my better half. Urged, by the obstruction, into a wrath more than demonical, I pulled back my arm from her grip and covered the hatchet in her mind. She fell dead upon the spot, without a moan. † Poe 3. The contention of a story is the thing that makes the story be intriguing, and have a contort. At last, there would be no story without a contention. The two stories â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death,† and â€Å"The Black Cat† are not so much similar in any manners. Both storys characters, strife, and setting are on the whole unique. That is something to be thankful for however. It is extraordinary for stories to be composed differently, and Poe was stupendous at doing only that. Edgar Allen Poe was an extraordinary man with fantastic stories. He had a hard life, and communicated completely in his accounts. In spite of the fact that his accounts were extremely horrendous, Poe was an exceptionally adroit man. He was exceptionally insightful, and the majority of his statements can at present be relatable today. For instance, â€Å"Years of affection have been overlooked, In the scorn of a moment. † Edgar Allen Poe.

New York Metropolitan Opera

New York Metropolitan Opera The opera has long been regarded as the epitome of entertainment among the wealthy, as well as a symbol of a well-educated mind. For many, attending a performance at a famed opera house is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Offering a mix of both classical and new operas, the opera house becomes the doorway to an enchanted land.The process of creating that fantasy land, however, is based in a startling reality of paperwork and business plans. For the New York Metropolitan Opera, reality came crashing into their fantasy world as bankruptcy loomed.Are there lessons that can be learned from opera’s stage? No subtitles required â€" the new business model of the New York Metropolitan Opera provides clear lessons for entrepreneurs at every stage of business. © Shutterstock.com | Sean PavoneAfter taking a look at 1) the New York Met’s history, understanding how the Met went from 2) headliners to show stoppers and 3) discovering how the NY Met changed course with a new business model, you’ll be prepared for 4) lessons for entrepreneurs that can help revitalize (or continue to improve) your business.NY MET HISTORY © Wikimedia commons | Robert N. Dennis collectionPerhaps one of the most famed opera houses in the world, the New York Metropolitan Opera is America’s largest classical music organization. Established in the late 19th century, The Met began as an alternative to the other opera house of the time, the Academy of Music. Membership to The Academy of Music was a status symbol; admittance was restricted to the highest levels of society. The Academy embraced old money and saw little reward in allowing the industrialists of the time, who were newly rich, to join their ranks. In response to this social snubbing, the Met was formed to allow New York’s rising wealthy access to the entertainment world. With three levels of private seating and plenty of space to ‘see and be seen’, the Met quickly replaced The Academy as the highlight of the social scene and has remained at the forefront of society’s cultural observations ever since.The popularity of the NY Met continued to grow through the 1900’s and the opera house underwent several transformations as a result. Transitioning from a theater-styled event that hired managers to produce operas into a national touring company helped to thrust the Met into the lives (and hearts) of Americans. The Met Opera Company began a tradition of performing regularly in Philadelphia, an 81 year tradition that brought opera to the city every Tuesday night.Through the early years of the opera’s history, the need to transition from being a theater style opera to a full scale production opera house became more and more evident. Hiring a General Manager to oversee the daily operations of the organization was necessary and profitable for the company. A succession of general managers took over the running of the organization, sometimes in a shared authority role with artists.For the first several years, the company was plagued with dismal financial success, primarily caused by the attempt to schedule as many performances as possible into a calendar year. A lack of oversight and a weak business plan were instrumental in keeping the Met on shaky ground. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that a new general manager took over with a distinct plan for the future that people began to notice something about the Met’s business plan was awry. During the 16 years of Joseph Volpe’s leadership, the Met expanded its showings â€" offering four world premiers and 22 Met premiers. An expanded international touring plan was implemented, the Met’s orchestra was built into a symphonic ensemble and the future for the beloved company seemed bright. Volpe retired in 2006, and a new visionary took over the planning and managing of the Met.The new general manager of The Met, Peter Gelb, detailed his plan for the future of The Met, and it was breathtaking. Expand the opera’s showings, attract new viewers (without losing any of the current attendees) and reduce staging costs were all on the new manager’s To-Do list. Gelb initiate d a series of collaborative efforts with other opera companies to bring new productions to the NY Met. In addition, he began to include directors of alternative industries in the production of The Met’s original programming; bringing in film, circus and theater directors. He expanded the offerings of The Met by introducing the concept of live viewings in high definition to movie theaters around the world â€" allowing attendees to enjoy a full-scale live production all on the big screen. Despite his best efforts, however, he announced that the NY Met was filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and would cease to exist.There are few events better than discovering a new rendition of a classic tale, performed brilliantly. The future of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, however, is in jeopardy as its leadership scrambles to develop a plan to salvage this once proud company.FROM HEADLINERS TO SHOW STOPPERSTo understand the decline of The Met, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of t he key players involved in the crisis. Within The Met there are four main groups that have leading roles in the drama that takes place â€" behind the curtain.Key players and their role in the crisisUnion Groups. One of the main roles at The Met belongs to the unions. To begin with, the Met is made up of sixteen union groups. These groups control everything from opening the door in the morning, building and maintaining the set, the orchestra, the stage hands and more. In an effort to reduce the company’s deficit, the Met asked union groups to accept a plan that would reduce their compensation. The unions refused and went on strike. The unions’ assertion that the two-thirds of $327 million operating costs that go to the unions aren’t enough to maintain the union’s standards is interesting. This claim seems ludicrous in light of the imminent demise of the company altogether. Rather than accepting a slightly lower paycheck, they would rather receive nothing if it means not havin g to compromise.Managers. The general overseer of the opera house, the manager is primarily responsible for the day to day operations and planning of the company. Under the leadership of a strong manager, the company thrives. The development of new ideas and opportunities falls to the manager, and the failure to maintain the opera’s vision also is laid upon the manager. The manager oversees the budget, and is responsible to negotiate with the unions for the responsibilities and compensation for the year. Under the current manager’s leadership, the opera house was on the brink of collapse due to increased spending and a reduced income.Contributors/Sponsors. The NY Met Opera House is funded primarily by contributors or sponsors. This can be through corporate sponsorships, personal endowments and other events though the year that are generating both interest and support.Endowment Fund. A source of income, the opera company would use a percentage of the interest from the endowment t o supplement their other income. By withdrawing a percentage of the principle, not the interest, the endowment has suffered and will quickly be used up if alternative measures are not taken.Strategic MisstepsWith the benefit of hindsight, it is clear to see a path of strategic missteps taken by the opera. One of the initial elements that began the downward spiral was the conversion of the opera company to a travelling show. While initially, the benefit seems to be twofold: increase the Opera House’s visibility and generate additional revenue, the execution of the plan did not work as expected. The addition of a travelling company to an already taxed budget left no room for a conversion to travelling. Additionally, taking the show on the road added to concerns about the safety of the show, including actors and musicians.Another tactic that was tried early on was the reduction of the number of shows that the company offered. An exhausting regimen of over 200 performances a year was cut to less than 20 in an extreme effort to complete the sale. The obvious solution to financial worries may not always be the most efficient one; however, as the reduced number of shows limited the opportunities the company had to sell tickets.In the world of the opera, the unions have a large amount of power. By failing to negotiate with the unions early in the process, the entire company ground to a halt when the unions went on strike. A refusal to negotiate and an almost arrogant approach to compromising with the union could have been the end of the negotiation process.Instituting a new breed of opera experiences was one method of expanding the revenue stream. The Live performances are broadcast at movie theaters across the country. Initially it appeared as though the idea would be a success, but the ticket sales quickly stagnated. With ticket sales at a plateau, the live performance shows seem to be a revenue loss.While scrambling to find new revenue streams, the management of The Met began to use the principle of the endowment, not the interest. In previous years, the interest of the endowment would be used to supplement the revenue of the company. Now, as the principle begins to dwindle and the ticket sales are down, the smaller endowment may never recover from the amount taken.The management came up with a solution: cut wages. Unfortunately, he forgot to clear it with the unions, and they were not happy with the arrangement. With both sides failing to reach an agreement, the unions went on strike and the company shut down. Protesters picketed, the public reacted with opinions in the paper and eventually the management sat down with the protestors.Quickly running out of money, the opera had no choice but to announce its intention to file for bankruptcy protection. While advocates of the opera demanded that the city step in, the mayor refused, claiming that the opera company needed to get a handle on their out of control spending.Outside ForcesAlthough t here are several factors within the opera house that affected the profitability, there are several outside forces which combined to create a hostile environment for the opera company. Higher production costs drove the prices of everything on stage up, forcing the artist’s creativity and talent for making more out of less. Finding ways to reduce these costs while still maintaining a standard of excellence is the opera company’s goal.The higher production costs combined with dwindling ticket sales created a budget deficit that may take years to recover from. The overall economy has declined, and people are spending less discretionary money. This reduction in ticket sales can lead to devastating revenues.CHANGING COURSE: THE NEW BUSINESS MODELRenegotiate union contractsOne of the primary components in the new business model is the renegotiated staff and union contracts. By sitting down to negotiate with the unions, the management and the union leaders were able to come to an agreem ent that both parties could abide by. Referring to their agreement as ‘an equality of sacrifice’, both parties were able to walk away from the negotiation table with a plan they could feel comfortable with. In addition, both parties agreed to work with an independent financial analyst to monitor the continued growth of the new model. As part of the new deal, the management agreed to a reduction in administrative payroll costs that were equal to the cuts in labor. The general manager also voluntarily took a pay cut of over $1 million annually as part of the sacrifices being made to save The Met. Revenue Enhancement StrategiesA primary complaint of the labor unions was the lack of new sponsors. This created an environment where the largest source of revenue was coming from ticket sales, which had dwindled down to an alarming 79% of previous year’s attendance. As part of the renegotiated contracts, the management agreed to actively seek additional sponsors to supplement the endow ment and ticket revenue.Another strategy to increase revenue is to expand the show offerings. The addition of the live performances was creative and trendy, but tickets sales stagnated quickly. Additional show offerings must be developed in order to continue to attract new attendees while maintaining the existing opera aficionados.Control ExpensesSpending for the NY Met skyrocketed with the advancement of the new general manager in 2006. The investment in new shows, launching the live performance program and expanded facilities forced the company to institute a pay cut across the board for the company. During the negotiations, union leaders expressed dismay at the excessive spending that had been taking place. The resulting compromise included a premise that spending would be curtailed.LESSONS FOR ENTREPRENEURSWhat lessons can an entrepreneur learn from this tragic tale of woe (one can imagine the mournful sounds of a dying song playing in the background)? The long, rich history of the New York Metropolitan was almost erased from the annuals of history, in part due to the actions (and failures) of the people who were actively engaged in the daily operation of the company. How can an entrepreneur avoid these same pitfalls?Take action early. When finances start to get tight, the natural reaction is to keep everything on a short financial leash and ‘keep an eye on things’. While a natural response, this can be a deathblow to a company on its last legs. It is wise to observe the operations of the company, but it should never take the place of action.Be proactive. Don’t wait for a small problem to snowball into a huge disaster. The NY Met failed to take action in light of dwindling attendees and the rising costs of set construction.Make hard decisions. It is easy to become emotionally attached to parts of the company that you’ve built. The processes that you’ve put into place, the employees that you hired, even the building that you established your compa ny in can all become ‘icons’ that are hard to replace. Unfortunately, those same icons can become anchors that prevent a company from moving forward because you are trapped in the past. It is never easy to make hard decisions, which is why there are much fewer bosses than there are employees; someone has to make the tough calls. When a company is in financial distress, it is not time to wax nostalgic about the days gone by, it is time to be proactive and make the necessary decisions to move the company forward.Stay in communication with all parties. No one likes to admit that they are having problems. Financial problems, especially, seem to be difficult to talk about. As an entrepreneur, however, it is essential that open communication is maintained during financial stress. Keeping the investors, employees and other active parties in touch with what is going on is an excellent way to help share the burden, as well as enlisting help in developing strategic plans for the future.St rategic planning and oversight is essential. It is important to have a strategic plan for the future, but the plan is worthless if there is no oversight to ensure that the plan is being followed. In addition, monitoring the success and/or failure of a plan can provide guidance about pivoting or expansion.The crisis at the NY Metropolitan Opera has been averted, temporarily. Thanks to decisive action, enduring negotiations and a continuing commitment to the arts, The Met has a new business model to take into the future. Despite how one may feel about the performance of opera, there is a sense of satisfaction that the cultural icon will continue to shine. Image credit:  Wikimedia commons | Robert N. Dennis collection under public domain.

New York Metropolitan Opera

New York Metropolitan Opera The opera has long been regarded as the epitome of entertainment among the wealthy, as well as a symbol of a well-educated mind. For many, attending a performance at a famed opera house is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Offering a mix of both classical and new operas, the opera house becomes the doorway to an enchanted land.The process of creating that fantasy land, however, is based in a startling reality of paperwork and business plans. For the New York Metropolitan Opera, reality came crashing into their fantasy world as bankruptcy loomed.Are there lessons that can be learned from opera’s stage? No subtitles required â€" the new business model of the New York Metropolitan Opera provides clear lessons for entrepreneurs at every stage of business. © Shutterstock.com | Sean PavoneAfter taking a look at 1) the New York Met’s history, understanding how the Met went from 2) headliners to show stoppers and 3) discovering how the NY Met changed course with a new business model, you’ll be prepared for 4) lessons for entrepreneurs that can help revitalize (or continue to improve) your business.NY MET HISTORY © Wikimedia commons | Robert N. Dennis collectionPerhaps one of the most famed opera houses in the world, the New York Metropolitan Opera is America’s largest classical music organization. Established in the late 19th century, The Met began as an alternative to the other opera house of the time, the Academy of Music. Membership to The Academy of Music was a status symbol; admittance was restricted to the highest levels of society. The Academy embraced old money and saw little reward in allowing the industrialists of the time, who were newly rich, to join their ranks. In response to this social snubbing, the Met was formed to allow New York’s rising wealthy access to the entertainment world. With three levels of private seating and plenty of space to ‘see and be seen’, the Met quickly replaced The Academy as the highlight of the social scene and has remained at the forefront of society’s cultural observations ever since.The popularity of the NY Met continued to grow through the 1900’s and the opera house underwent several transformations as a result. Transitioning from a theater-styled event that hired managers to produce operas into a national touring company helped to thrust the Met into the lives (and hearts) of Americans. The Met Opera Company began a tradition of performing regularly in Philadelphia, an 81 year tradition that brought opera to the city every Tuesday night.Through the early years of the opera’s history, the need to transition from being a theater style opera to a full scale production opera house became more and more evident. Hiring a General Manager to oversee the daily operations of the organization was necessary and profitable for the company. A succession of general managers took over the running of the organization, sometimes in a shared authority role with artists.For the first several years, the company was plagued with dismal financial success, primarily caused by the attempt to schedule as many performances as possible into a calendar year. A lack of oversight and a weak business plan were instrumental in keeping the Met on shaky ground. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that a new general manager took over with a distinct plan for the future that people began to notice something about the Met’s business plan was awry. During the 16 years of Joseph Volpe’s leadership, the Met expanded its showings â€" offering four world premiers and 22 Met premiers. An expanded international touring plan was implemented, the Met’s orchestra was built into a symphonic ensemble and the future for the beloved company seemed bright. Volpe retired in 2006, and a new visionary took over the planning and managing of the Met.The new general manager of The Met, Peter Gelb, detailed his plan for the future of The Met, and it was breathtaking. Expand the opera’s showings, attract new viewers (without losing any of the current attendees) and reduce staging costs were all on the new manager’s To-Do list. Gelb initiate d a series of collaborative efforts with other opera companies to bring new productions to the NY Met. In addition, he began to include directors of alternative industries in the production of The Met’s original programming; bringing in film, circus and theater directors. He expanded the offerings of The Met by introducing the concept of live viewings in high definition to movie theaters around the world â€" allowing attendees to enjoy a full-scale live production all on the big screen. Despite his best efforts, however, he announced that the NY Met was filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and would cease to exist.There are few events better than discovering a new rendition of a classic tale, performed brilliantly. The future of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, however, is in jeopardy as its leadership scrambles to develop a plan to salvage this once proud company.FROM HEADLINERS TO SHOW STOPPERSTo understand the decline of The Met, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of t he key players involved in the crisis. Within The Met there are four main groups that have leading roles in the drama that takes place â€" behind the curtain.Key players and their role in the crisisUnion Groups. One of the main roles at The Met belongs to the unions. To begin with, the Met is made up of sixteen union groups. These groups control everything from opening the door in the morning, building and maintaining the set, the orchestra, the stage hands and more. In an effort to reduce the company’s deficit, the Met asked union groups to accept a plan that would reduce their compensation. The unions refused and went on strike. The unions’ assertion that the two-thirds of $327 million operating costs that go to the unions aren’t enough to maintain the union’s standards is interesting. This claim seems ludicrous in light of the imminent demise of the company altogether. Rather than accepting a slightly lower paycheck, they would rather receive nothing if it means not havin g to compromise.Managers. The general overseer of the opera house, the manager is primarily responsible for the day to day operations and planning of the company. Under the leadership of a strong manager, the company thrives. The development of new ideas and opportunities falls to the manager, and the failure to maintain the opera’s vision also is laid upon the manager. The manager oversees the budget, and is responsible to negotiate with the unions for the responsibilities and compensation for the year. Under the current manager’s leadership, the opera house was on the brink of collapse due to increased spending and a reduced income.Contributors/Sponsors. The NY Met Opera House is funded primarily by contributors or sponsors. This can be through corporate sponsorships, personal endowments and other events though the year that are generating both interest and support.Endowment Fund. A source of income, the opera company would use a percentage of the interest from the endowment t o supplement their other income. By withdrawing a percentage of the principle, not the interest, the endowment has suffered and will quickly be used up if alternative measures are not taken.Strategic MisstepsWith the benefit of hindsight, it is clear to see a path of strategic missteps taken by the opera. One of the initial elements that began the downward spiral was the conversion of the opera company to a travelling show. While initially, the benefit seems to be twofold: increase the Opera House’s visibility and generate additional revenue, the execution of the plan did not work as expected. The addition of a travelling company to an already taxed budget left no room for a conversion to travelling. Additionally, taking the show on the road added to concerns about the safety of the show, including actors and musicians.Another tactic that was tried early on was the reduction of the number of shows that the company offered. An exhausting regimen of over 200 performances a year was cut to less than 20 in an extreme effort to complete the sale. The obvious solution to financial worries may not always be the most efficient one; however, as the reduced number of shows limited the opportunities the company had to sell tickets.In the world of the opera, the unions have a large amount of power. By failing to negotiate with the unions early in the process, the entire company ground to a halt when the unions went on strike. A refusal to negotiate and an almost arrogant approach to compromising with the union could have been the end of the negotiation process.Instituting a new breed of opera experiences was one method of expanding the revenue stream. The Live performances are broadcast at movie theaters across the country. Initially it appeared as though the idea would be a success, but the ticket sales quickly stagnated. With ticket sales at a plateau, the live performance shows seem to be a revenue loss.While scrambling to find new revenue streams, the management of The Met began to use the principle of the endowment, not the interest. In previous years, the interest of the endowment would be used to supplement the revenue of the company. Now, as the principle begins to dwindle and the ticket sales are down, the smaller endowment may never recover from the amount taken.The management came up with a solution: cut wages. Unfortunately, he forgot to clear it with the unions, and they were not happy with the arrangement. With both sides failing to reach an agreement, the unions went on strike and the company shut down. Protesters picketed, the public reacted with opinions in the paper and eventually the management sat down with the protestors.Quickly running out of money, the opera had no choice but to announce its intention to file for bankruptcy protection. While advocates of the opera demanded that the city step in, the mayor refused, claiming that the opera company needed to get a handle on their out of control spending.Outside ForcesAlthough t here are several factors within the opera house that affected the profitability, there are several outside forces which combined to create a hostile environment for the opera company. Higher production costs drove the prices of everything on stage up, forcing the artist’s creativity and talent for making more out of less. Finding ways to reduce these costs while still maintaining a standard of excellence is the opera company’s goal.The higher production costs combined with dwindling ticket sales created a budget deficit that may take years to recover from. The overall economy has declined, and people are spending less discretionary money. This reduction in ticket sales can lead to devastating revenues.CHANGING COURSE: THE NEW BUSINESS MODELRenegotiate union contractsOne of the primary components in the new business model is the renegotiated staff and union contracts. By sitting down to negotiate with the unions, the management and the union leaders were able to come to an agreem ent that both parties could abide by. Referring to their agreement as ‘an equality of sacrifice’, both parties were able to walk away from the negotiation table with a plan they could feel comfortable with. In addition, both parties agreed to work with an independent financial analyst to monitor the continued growth of the new model. As part of the new deal, the management agreed to a reduction in administrative payroll costs that were equal to the cuts in labor. The general manager also voluntarily took a pay cut of over $1 million annually as part of the sacrifices being made to save The Met. Revenue Enhancement StrategiesA primary complaint of the labor unions was the lack of new sponsors. This created an environment where the largest source of revenue was coming from ticket sales, which had dwindled down to an alarming 79% of previous year’s attendance. As part of the renegotiated contracts, the management agreed to actively seek additional sponsors to supplement the endow ment and ticket revenue.Another strategy to increase revenue is to expand the show offerings. The addition of the live performances was creative and trendy, but tickets sales stagnated quickly. Additional show offerings must be developed in order to continue to attract new attendees while maintaining the existing opera aficionados.Control ExpensesSpending for the NY Met skyrocketed with the advancement of the new general manager in 2006. The investment in new shows, launching the live performance program and expanded facilities forced the company to institute a pay cut across the board for the company. During the negotiations, union leaders expressed dismay at the excessive spending that had been taking place. The resulting compromise included a premise that spending would be curtailed.LESSONS FOR ENTREPRENEURSWhat lessons can an entrepreneur learn from this tragic tale of woe (one can imagine the mournful sounds of a dying song playing in the background)? The long, rich history of the New York Metropolitan was almost erased from the annuals of history, in part due to the actions (and failures) of the people who were actively engaged in the daily operation of the company. How can an entrepreneur avoid these same pitfalls?Take action early. When finances start to get tight, the natural reaction is to keep everything on a short financial leash and ‘keep an eye on things’. While a natural response, this can be a deathblow to a company on its last legs. It is wise to observe the operations of the company, but it should never take the place of action.Be proactive. Don’t wait for a small problem to snowball into a huge disaster. The NY Met failed to take action in light of dwindling attendees and the rising costs of set construction.Make hard decisions. It is easy to become emotionally attached to parts of the company that you’ve built. The processes that you’ve put into place, the employees that you hired, even the building that you established your compa ny in can all become ‘icons’ that are hard to replace. Unfortunately, those same icons can become anchors that prevent a company from moving forward because you are trapped in the past. It is never easy to make hard decisions, which is why there are much fewer bosses than there are employees; someone has to make the tough calls. When a company is in financial distress, it is not time to wax nostalgic about the days gone by, it is time to be proactive and make the necessary decisions to move the company forward.Stay in communication with all parties. No one likes to admit that they are having problems. Financial problems, especially, seem to be difficult to talk about. As an entrepreneur, however, it is essential that open communication is maintained during financial stress. Keeping the investors, employees and other active parties in touch with what is going on is an excellent way to help share the burden, as well as enlisting help in developing strategic plans for the future.St rategic planning and oversight is essential. It is important to have a strategic plan for the future, but the plan is worthless if there is no oversight to ensure that the plan is being followed. In addition, monitoring the success and/or failure of a plan can provide guidance about pivoting or expansion.The crisis at the NY Metropolitan Opera has been averted, temporarily. Thanks to decisive action, enduring negotiations and a continuing commitment to the arts, The Met has a new business model to take into the future. Despite how one may feel about the performance of opera, there is a sense of satisfaction that the cultural icon will continue to shine. Image credit:  Wikimedia commons | Robert N. Dennis collection under public domain.