Where to Start When You're Done
Where To Start When You're Done (Singing)
So the evening's over; they're breaking down the sound system and the stage. It was a great time. Your people seemed elated. They were a bit puzzled at the beginning of the program—the "interactive songwriting" session was a surprise. When the MC first started talking about what was going to happen, there were various looks of consternation, disbelief, "oh-no", and some bewilderment; and a few smiles, too. As the program progressed, they warmed up to the idea.
After being invited to "speak the truth", they discussed their themes & issues, and had fun making a list of challenges, wins, hopes, visions, etc. Some even started singing early on. As they were writing the songs, the level of energy went way up. "Can we really say that?" "I've got an idea!" They got their songs together, rehearsed them, some added choreography, and finally, one by one the groups got up and performed their original songs.
The spirit and enthusiasm in the room was fantastic. People had never see this kind of energy and atmosphere at a corporate function. After the band's final song, Let the Good Times Roll, they called for encores and had an impromptu dance party! The session was great, just what you wanted. But as the room clears out, the question occurs to you: "Now what?" Or, "So what?" We had a great time, but we have some things that we have to work on. The songs that were written made that crystal clear, even if we didn't know it before.
Satisfied Clients
"The FTM team is very knowledgeable about how to work with business issues… And very good working with clients. As they say, the proof is in the product, and I liked how the group kept the focus on the clients and helped them succeed."
–
Stacey Dagnault
BI Worldwide
"Thanks to FACE THE MUSIC this was, by far, the best sales meeting I have ever attended. This is such a great concept in energizing everyone. I came in sitting in the back of the room, but ended up right in front!"
–
Nancy Piechowiak
Sales Coordinator,
Panasonic
"It truly was a fun and interactive learning experience that nicely complemented our overall training days for our staff. It is important for our staff, which does not have the opportunity to meet face-to-face very often, to connect as peers and forge team-based relationships. The Face the Music experience definitely facilitated that."
–
Lisa Diamond, Director
Canadian Diabetes Association
"Loved that the songs created during the session were presented later to the entire conference delegation at our closing event. Which added a very fun element to the event both for the participants as well as the audience."
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Denise Stenzel
International Coach Federation
Besides just having a excellent time, your people have just participated in an organizational diagnosis process. We can help you access the current situation in your organization through the music, lyrics and the process people went through in creating them.
According to Antonio Damasio, author of the book
Descartes' Error
: "Feelings point us in the proper direction, take us to the appropriate place in a decision-making space, where we may put the instruments of logic to good use."
The songs people write are about the things that engage them emotionally, what their work extracts from them, and gives back to them in the process of doing the job and creating the results. They express the issues, problems, themes, and absurdities—and also the victories, areas of pride and accomplishment, and the stories of adversity overcome to achieve realization of a goal.
There is an intense burst of energy and enthusiasm when these groups write and sing their blues, after which they find themselves in a new space. It's been fun, electrifying, and even perhaps a bit of a riot; and now there's a new perspective, the process has brought them to a new space where insight and a detached re-evaluation of situations can take place.
"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand."
Confucius c. 450 B.C.
Transfer of learning is the key concept, as the compelling flow and inertia of everyday existence is the most effective eroding agent that keeps classroom and offsite ah-ha's from becoming new behavior and results on the job. With the increase in complexity and the volume of information that needs to be processed, and the accelerating pace of business and change, learning must be relevant, immediately applicable in a concrete way, and it needs to stand out from the kaleidoscope of background noise and information.
Tip: Don't provide a stand-alone experience in the hopes that a group will come away with learning or shared understanding on what that encounter meant. Provide a process to explore what happened, meaning, and implications.
What we like to do is get in there with the people and explore what it was all about—an opportunity to innovate in real time and come out with gems that we can use.
We start with a debrief or "review", that goes like this:
1.
Facts—What happened? (The "what")
2.
Feelings—What did you experience personally? How did it feel? (Also "What")
3.
Findings—Why did that happen? How is that at work in other places? (The "So what?"—meaning)
4.
Futures—Implications for moving forward? Actions? Possibilities revealed? (The "Now what?")
From project planning to a full blown organization transformation, our clients find that they can take on their issues, launch initiatives & products, brainstorm solutions, train leaders, and a whole lot more from a fresh framework after their people have a shared FTM experience. And we have an experienced crew of musicians, facilitators, and consultants that help them through a powerful process to make a difference.
(For more info on this subject, see Paul's chapter in the newly published
)
Below is an easy, understandable format that you can use to get direction and clarity around a project and get into action (courtesy of
and
). Whether you're making a record, launching a product, planning a meeting, redoing the bathroom, building a new headquarters, or robbing a bank, you can use it to define goals, resources, and action steps to make it a reality, and use the format to check in on accountability that things are happening on time. It can also be used as a living document to add new steps as they emerge and update status as you progress. We use a GoogleDoc that can be updated by all team members. You can download a blank form at:
https://app.box.com/s/er7tdyyh5mx9kdriaa4v
Here's to the success of you next project!
MetaSystem Action Plan Form
Project/Vision: To buy an island in the Caribbean to retire
Strategy: Rob a bank
Goal: Come away with $20 million
Team Leaders: Moe, Ed and Izzy
Other Resources: Harry (for the pieces)
Team Members: To be determined
#
Steps
Who
When
Deliverable of Step
Status
(Start with an action verb)
Begin
End
1
Identify co-conspirator roles
Moe Ed
1/4
1/9
List of roles needed for co-conspirators
Done
2
Get the hardware from Harry
Izzy/Ed
1/8
1/14
4 Tommy guns, 6 pistols, 150 rounds of ammo for each
Meet set up for 1/9
3
Recruit co-conspirators
Moe Ed Izzy
1/10
1/14
Co-conspirators on board
Red and Itchey Bob on board; need 3 more
4
Hold initial planning meeting (Plan the heist)
Whole Team
1/15
1/15
Complete plan for the hold up
5
Execute the heist
Whole Team
1/17
1/17
20 million dollars in unmarked bills
5.1
Meet at hide out
Whole Team
1/17
1/17
All present at the appointed time
5.2
Get in the car, drive to bank
Whole Team
1/17
1/17
Gang arrives at bank
5.3
Drop off Lookout
Whole Team
1/17
1/17
Lookout in Place
5.4
Cover the door
Ed
1/17
1/17
Door Covered
5.5
Shoot out Surveillance Cameras
Izzy
1/17
1/17
Surveillance cameras out
5.6
Give speech to all present ("Hands behind your head...")
Moe
1/17
1/17
Speech delivered
5.7
Fill bags with cash
Moe Izzy Joe
1/17
1/17
Have cash
5.8
Meet getaway car out front
Ed/Moe Izzy/Joe
1/17
1/17
Gang in car
6
Meet back at hideout
Whole Team
1/17
1/17
Gang assembled
6.1
Divide money
Ed/Izzy
1/17
1/17
Money divvied up
7
Meet at island and buy it
Ed/Moe Izzy
2/15
2/20
Island purchased
What event, initiative or challenge do you have coming up
that Face The Music can add value to?
To reach us:
(845) 687-2100