Want to get team members pumped about an important meeting, strategy session, collaborative project or event?Make a team playlist.
Why? Because making a list that has a piece of every member's personality does a couple of things:
- It shows you value their personal style and uniqueness, which also relates to valuing their individual opinions
- It provides a non-threating way to "break the ice," and find commonality or differences with song choices/styles
- It gives every team member a 'rally cry' that resonates with them, creating a personal energy for the project
- It is FUN
I recently did this with a team for the first time. Yes, they thought I was a little bit crazy. The request went something like this:
Please send to me 2 song titles/artists that resonate with you. Can be an oldie but goodie, all time favorite, or favorite/catchy for now! Something that gets you pumped, excited, or in a creative state of mind…. Otherwise, you’ll get to listen to my mix now and again…
We ended up with a playlist of 24 songs, of which we rotated randomly through during breaks, exercises, and even in a car to dinner. Was it worth my little bit of effort to put together? You bet.
- We laughed, talked, and joked
- We had a safe space where all voices were welcome
- We learned a lot about each other And...
- We accomplished our goals for the session, even ending 30 minutes early and excited about the next stage.
Was that all because of a playlist? Probably not. But if you are struggling with your team - try it out. And tell me what you think.
Rock on,
H
