Now that you’ve successfully outgrown of the ‘cut-paste’ mentality (if not, please read part 1 of this blog series) and are looking to actually make a difference or to bring about a culture change in your corporate engagement activities, here are some unique things you could do…

  • Game of Trash-Thrones: Recycling / reusing as an incentivized activity!
  • Fear (no) Factor: A support group to help overcome mild to strong phobias!
  • Be Kind-Unwind: The kindness challenge!
  • The Corporate Ensemble: Build your in-house band! 

Since we are an ART – based positive-change-bringing organization, we will start with the Corporate Ensemble in this article. Continuing with the scientifically proven fact that playing an instrument stimulates several parts of the brain simultaneously and is connected with higher intelligence, creativity and stress reduction; It would be a wonderful investment by you (fellow team leader) to identify hidden talents of team members and lovingly help them pursue their active hobby while at work.

They will no longer have the excuse of ‘time nahi milta’ and you will notice (over time) that they are happier. A happier employee is a more productive employee. Note that this does not end at a mere prescription of asking your team members to take up a hobby while you continue number crunching. Think of how YOU can actively be a part of this process. Most of the time it is the act of a group of people gathering together with the same intent that sets a process in motion (regardless of the activity in its entirety)

Step 1: Identify the musicians in your team. There are often guitarists who started learning the instrument in college (to impress their person of interest and then continued learning despite rejection from the said person)

Step 2: Identify the musically inclined members of your team. This comprises people who gave up learning their instrument of choice because of various reasons (most common one being that they actually managed to get the attention of their person of interest and then looked at their musical instrument as a “deliberately purchased” piece of art which is hung on the wall or upon which a coffee mug is placed)

Step 3: Segregate your band into instrumentalists, singers, drums + percussion, managing, and execution team

Step 4: Identify roles within the above categorizations (for example – lead + rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist, keyboard/piano players, drummer, percussionist, lead singer, backing vocalists, band manager and so on)

Step 5: Identify learning needs. THIS is the most important step. Here’s where the more realistic you are, the better the results will be. These goals need to be set up based on where you see the band going in the near future. Remember, playing at Wembley stadium will need to be a 5-year plan (at best). Taking baby steps and playing a tight, short set before a group of known people at first and then moving to an annual-gathering event is advisable. 

For this, you may need the help of a professional musician/facilitator or an organization that understands the nuances of music and how a company or team functions. That’s where Taal Inc. comes in. Imagine a weekly exercise where your team is engaged in an activity, based on their musical preference, which, over a period of time leads to the creation of a company band that is on autopilot. Wouldn’t that be cool? The longer you invest in this activity, the more you will surprise yourself at a human potential. Our aim is to eventually not be needed in this equation at all. 

Nothing comes easy or overnight (not even amazon prime) so with a little patience, perseverance and well-planned goals we should be able to positively influence employee satisfaction, a higher team EQ, team initiative or motivation and productivity. After all, ANY time spent finding your inner rhythm is time well spent… 

Come. Drum. Be One.

Varun Venkit 

Team Taal Inc.