Imagine if everyone in your business worked like a member of a world-class orchestra: every note perfectly timed in synchronised harmony.
If you’ve ever been part of a musical ensemble, you’ll know the feeling when you hear the music soar and your instrument becomes part of the glorious song. That’s teamwork at its best and it goes some way to explaining why music is often used as a team building tool in educational institutions.
There are more similarities with business than you might think:
- Knowledge – it’s important that everyone knows the repertoire. If not, there are bound to be hold-ups, mistakes or inconsistency as the wrong sheets of music are read, and confusion causes cacophony.
- Resources – ensuring that everyone has all the equipment they need. Are the music stands in place, and is there enough seating, in the right order and at the correct distances from each other? It’s impossible to make sublime music without the right kit.
- Culture – Is there a culture of participation or competition? Do all the musicians co-operate to ensure the right collection of instruments play at exactly the right moment at the perfect volume? Or are there some divas who make sure their sound is heard above all others – even when that’s not going to create the best overall experience for the audience
- Resilience – What happens if someone skips a beat? Do other members help carry the music? Or does blame culture mean that individuals are pilloried rather than supported.
- Commitment – Months of rehearsal and planning go into a performance. To make sure all the preparation pays off, every member must stay focused and committed to the last note.
- Sensitivity – Are individual members sensitive to and aware of the needs of the others? If they aren’t, there’s the potential for one person’s difficulties to diminish the overall listening experience. If everyone is aware and responsive, the conductor can adapt the sound at the flick of a baton.
- Leadership – is the whole orchestra inspired and poised to entertain? Do they trust that their conductor will lead them through a flawless performance to rapturous applause?
We designed our Team Navigator tool around the elements listed here because they are critical factors for a great internal team. Get them right and the results will speak for themselves; get them wrong and the inevitable bottlenecks could seriously hinder delivery.
Watch this video of the acclaimed Perpetuum Jazzile choir for inspiration about what good teamwork looks like. It’s amazing what they achieve. Then imagine how smoothly your business would run and how happy your customers would be if your teams worked together as effectively.
Musical ensembles are a model for good teamwork – right?
Leave a Reply