Song Writing and Team Building

The Song Team

This was the best team building and leadership event we've ever had. Our team is still on fire! — Delta Airlines

(615) 974-0225

 jeff.jacob2@gmail.com

Corporate Team Building

Team Building Nashville Style

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The Song Team with Amy & Holly at Delta Airlines Cincinnati Leadership Day.

The Song Team with Amy & Holly at Delta Air Lines Cincinnati Leadership Day.

It occurred to me while Sherrie, Michael and myself were working with Delta Air Lines up in “Cincy”, that we were witnessing first-hand… a true, team building Nashville style experience, in real time. It was a bit odd actually, though not in a bad way. I mean, it’s not as if we haven’t seen this many times before while facilitating a songwriting/team building program. That’s what we do. But in this case, there was so much give and take, a fast-paced, honest, transparent and ever evolving collaborative process going on in this beautiful,old library ball room.  We even had to vote once or twice on using one word vs. another in certain lines of our collective song.

The back and forth brainstorming was unfolding on stage between Michael, Sherrie and myself for certain(though in my exuberance at how supremely involved the Delta Cincinnati team was, I couldn’t keep myself out of the audience)…but the back and forth dialogue and exchanging of ideas were truly happening at a dizzying pace..with an ever building crescendo… between attendees, as well as between attendees and The Song Team. It was amazing.  It inspired me once again, to realize how this process can lead to such proactive dialogue.  Often, this occurs between team-members who don’t readily communicate with one another outside of their “normal work circle.” This type of active listening and cross-pollination of ideas is often the place where creative solutions “live.” It’s how we find the ladder, the path that takes us to where we need to be.

With the entire Delta Team

With the entire Delta Team

 

Amy and Holly (we’re first name type of folks here:) run a great ship at this particular department within Delta. It was very apparent to us that they honestly believe in the “listen, care, connect” mantra which they preach at Delta. Their department is typically ranked at or near the top, in customer satisfaction rankings when compared to other “sister” departments with whom they compete company-wide, all in an effort to better serve internal and external customers. This is a testament to the fact that their team is truly empowered, engaged and inspired. It starts at the top.  Thanks for including us in your annual Leadership Day program.  Onward and upward 🙂

 

 

Technology as part of the team: Songwriting and team building

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Technology as part of the team was our topic this past weekend at The Keen Digital Summit at the Omni hotel in Nashville was a truly inspiring, and enlightening event. With so many entrepreneurs, social media gurus, marketers and designers in one place…MAN, the ideas and solutions were flowing. So much information was transferred back and forth, amazing networking. Really it felt great to be a part of this inaugural event put together by Kristin Luna and Scott Van Velsor. Amazing presentations from Chefs, bloggers, designers and even Hub Spot blew the lid off my creativity tea-pot!!

Sharing the overall bill/speaking platform with the likes of Jairek Robbins and Mark Montgomery www.findyourflo.com was very cool. Both of these guys are at the top of their game creatively and have accomplished so much relative to their ages on the timeline…so to speak.

For my part, it was rewarding at a “Tech Conference” to be well-received with the message of technology as PART of the team, rather than as a replacement for vital team members. Unique thinkers, creative problem solvers, passionate inventors, skilled workers will always have a place in successful organizations. There is NO app, that will replace these folks. Nope, no way, no how.

And sharing the commonalities between successful collaborative songwriting and team building, was joyous.

Team & Technology at Keen Digital Summit – The Song Team

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Team & Technology. There is NOT and will NEVER be an “app” for that. Meaning – That Technology in all it’s grandeur, will never take the place of dedicated, inspired, talented, unique team-members. How do you assemble YOUR team?

Songwriters for Soldiers – A true team effort!

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Recently, a few of us experienced what can only be described as a trans-formative songwriting and team experience.  2 weekends ago, Sherrie Austin www.sherrieaustinmusic.com, and I joined hit songwriters from throughout Nashville at a rural retreat.  The mission was to collaborate on songs that told the very personal stories of soldiers and their families whom are battling PTSD.  Phew, talk about a passionate, emotional, inspirational and exhausting experience. How about one more superlative? Rewarding.

For a weekend, songwriters who love nothing better than to write, got the opportunity to put away their appointment books, forget about Music Row, not worry about if a song is “ready for radio,” and write from the deepest spaces in the heart.  Primarily, writers acted as conduits for the amazing and personal stories of these men and women heroes.  Our Veterans…Their families and their counselors.

On Saturday night we had a traditional “Song-circle” or “guitar pull.”  When one by one the writers and veterans performed their songs for this intimately sized group, there was not a dry eye in the house. By the end of the 2nd song, a box of tissues had been placed in the center of the circle….for easy access to all. Suffice it to say that all of us have been changed by this experience.

This collaborative retreat was co-sponsored by The Beat of Life www.thebeatoflife.org and S.A.F.E. (Soldiers and Families Embraced)www.thesafenetwork.org.  These are two tremendously cool non-profits whose focus on healing are synergistic with one another. Without the collaboration of these two start-ups, both very small in stature, but large and bold in mission…this weekend could not have happened.   “Because Music Can Save a Life,” is the motto of The Beat of Life.  We believe it truly can.  And one life at a time, that’s what will happen.  Through team effort, developing more effective programs and partnerships as time goes by, we can save lives.  I’m happy to wear several “volunteer hats” for TBOL.  I hope you’ll check out this worthy team and see what you can do to help. Jeni (The Founder and visionary) Kelly (Our Development Director) and Robin, our newest jack of all trades, sharp-shooter.  When people come together, whether at a Fortune 500 company, a non-profit or a tech start up, it’s amazing what can be accomplished.

Is Your Workplace Environment Stunting Collaboration and Innovation?

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Recently, our team participated in a songwriting/team-building program with a Fortune 500, Financial Services Company.  We were very excited to be working with a new group of driven, talented individuals.On this day, we were part of a full-days “technical” training.  We were the “Grand Finale”-Non-industry related part of the program.  We were there to shake things up, and help shift the thought processes of those in the room from their normal, linear thinking norms.

We were challenged to work in a room, where the layout was, well let’s say not ideal so as to encourage collaboration.  A primary goal with our programs!  Set up class-room style with long, thin rectangular tables.  All attendees were facing forward.  Nearly all had laptops in front of them, rather than the round tables we typically prefer.  So, what did we do?

Well, we “re-arranged the chairs on the Titantic!”  We shut down the lap-tops.  We asked those in attendance to move the tables around. Rather than row upon row of faces turned towards  “us” at the “front” of the room, we NOW had 4 “pods” or “Squares” of attendees facing each other.  Eye contact.  Everyone was now able to see lips moving when a colleague was speaking…contributing to the conversation.

 

NOW, we were set to work together in individual teams, and as a collective whole.  And everyone chipped in.  Beautiful.

 So, what can you do within the “walls” and WITH the walls of your organization to better promote innovation through collaboration? 

  •  Are there actual physical barriers which you as leadership can consider “bringing down?”
    •  Are there systemic barriers, or parameters that might be easier to change than you think?
      •  Conversely, are there systemic barriers or policies, which despite how difficult change may appear to be…STILL need to change? 
        • What can you do right now?  Within 3 months…6 months…12 months to better assure that all voices at the table have a say in creating and/or finding solutions?

        Let’s think about it….Then, let’s do something about it.

         

Emdeon Team-Building/Songwriting with Karen Taylor-Good!

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Recently, we facilitated an intimately sized songwriting/team-building program for Emdeon’s IT department. The VP’s who attended this program are charged with blending personnel and systems from an old company, with parts of a new company, new personnel, and new systems.

With Grammy-Nominated Songwriter, Karen Taylor-Good at my side, we convened in the collaborative workspace that is C3 Consulting just south of downtown Nashville. Tackling both the challenges of A) A company in today’s fast-changing healthcare industry, along with the B) The challenges faced by a company in the process of merging the “old with the new”, is a formidable challenge.

However, as we often find…the steeper the hill, the more opportunities we have to improve… the longer view vision we tend to have, which leads to a big picture focus. This is especially good when dealing with such complex issues. If we “can’t see the forest through the trees”, then being strategic in our implementation of new engagement systems, new professional development goals etc. becomes quite a bit more difficult.