Ever wondered why team building activities at work are important? Let me share a drum circle based analogy with you… In all traditional culturally specific group drumming situations, there are certain roles, voices, duties and responsibilities that are all very naturally passed on to the participants. These roles are important; without which the group rhythm would not sound (and feel) the same. So in a nutshell, each and every cog in the machine needs to be present and function optimally for the particular operation to work correctly.

Even if you have a small team, we’ve got to seriously consider team building activities for small groups as a regular part of your HR support function. This will be fruitful from the perspective of sparking creativity and innovation in your team through an activity that is fun. Learning becomes organic and interaction is the only way this team bonding group drumming activity works. That means no need to force the group to participate. That just automatically happens by design of the activity. This is why such sessions are increasingly becoming popular as office team building activites, encouraging teams to connect and collaborate effortlessly.

In a group drumming ensemble we’ve got bass drummers, (high pitch) snare drummers, (mid range drums) tom drummers, shaker / cymbal-drummers, time-keeper anchors and dancers. Each larger section of drummers has a structure and performs an important function to finally (in addition to the other groups) make up the whole group rhythm. Sounds similar to the various departments of a company right? For example: corporate structures like manufacturing, sales & marketing, HR, operations and more. This is also why group drumming is often included in different team building activities, because the structure mirrors how diverse teams come together to achieve a unified goal.

There are the obvious steps of having enough training to pass the inclusion criteria for the group but once that’s done then the success of the group does depend on its ability to move forward together, supporting each other, helping each other when needed and also letting each participant feel needed in the group. There’s usually one leader and at times more than one leader (including the sub group section leaders) that helps to keep everyone on the same page, playing the same rhythm. This leader leads by example, through experience, with kindness and courage. The more I speak of the workings of a rhythm ensemble like the chenda drummers of Kerala or the Dhol Tasha drummers of Maharashtra, the more I find that the description could be true for any corporate office as well. So if you’re looking for different work team building activities for your group, work on making an office band, or better still: an office drumming ensemble. I’d like to add to truly focus on building a culture of group drummers and (very important) to not compromise on the quality of the band. Let’s not settle for the band to simply be a showcase of mediocre talent. I don’t mean to exclude anyone with the statement but to focus on the importance of always learning and bettering ones skill through practice and ‘Riyaaz’. This means: starting somewhere and accepting the talent of the group but also setting goals for the group to get better. This is something we would do with respect to our work related productivity goals isn’t it? Why should we be any different here? That’s when we will challenge ourselves through an activity that we love (group drumming) and learn new things about ourselves and eventually apply those learnings in our work lives too… 

Success involves a lot of regular practice. There is a need to get better at one’s own skill but also to be able to express oneself and understand the body language of others in the group. It’s important to make time for this. Another point to emphasize is the concept of non-judgement. When we remember the purpose of why we started this activity in the first place, then we tend to start realising the bigger picture and how our contribution affects that directly. This is also why group drumming is often included in small team building activities, as it helps people connect on a deeper level. It’s a very rare and empowering moment when we figure this out naturally. With group drumming it usually happens when we least expect it…

The next time you’re looking for team building activities in Pune, think of starting a group drumming circle. Think long term because the real magic of this medium takes time. 

When will we drum with you next?
Come. Drum. Be One.
Varun Venkit 
Taal Inc.