I do love StumbleUpon because I find inspiration in unexpected places. A lot of my research focuses on how to tie team building activities into the creative process. That’s what we do here at Kidbilly Music, but I always want to learn what other folks are doing. I stumbled onto this post about the Disney creative strategy and I think it’s great. It beautifully summarizes how to marry creativity with purpose to achieve results.
Team Building Activities with Purpose
Even seemingly improvised, creative team building activities are guided by process and purpose. While I love to describe creativity as a messy and uncharted journey, the truth is there’s a discernible process that all creative people use. That’s not to say it’s the same process for all of us; in fact everyone has their own approach. Quite often, creative types are not consciously aware of their approach, but nonetheless it’s there – repeated time after time. My job as a music team building facilitator is to enable teams to engage on a visceral and creative level. To immerse groups in the the messiness of the creative process, yet guiding them toward a logical and successful outcome. Quite often, clients talk about the magical experience of our music team building activities. But like most magic, it’s really driven by process, planning and purpose.
Create, play, discuss, experiment, plan…
The Disney Creative Strategy
The article I stumbled upon about Disney’s creative strategy summarized three areas of focus; the dreamer, the realist and the critic. We need to be dreamers, to wander unfettered through brainstorms and visions. But to make something creative that lives and lasts, we then need to become realists – to plug our ideas into reality. The critics role in this process is vital as creative ideas are tested and questioned. We need this for our ideas to evolve into sustainable things; be it a song, a new type of computer or an amusement park ride.
Song As a Team Building Activity
There is process that guides my own program, Team Building Through Song®. Part of our success is that this process integrates invisibly with the spontaneity, group brainstorming and in-the-moment creativity that makes a great team songwriting event. Creating a song with a group allows our clients to model problem solving, creative challenges and the team work we all need to succeed. But honestly, what participants are most aware of, is that they’re having fun, out on the edge, communicating openly as a team and working toward a common goal. It doesn’t feel like work and it doesn’t look like process…therein lies the magic!