The 8 conditions needed for great teamwork

Let's do some team building" comes the cry from the top! "And, after the
session we'll be a better team and we'll get more done." Yeah right! If it were
simple as that why doesn't it always work? So often the team goes back to
doing to the same thing they did before the session?

We get confused about teambuilding and teamwork – a lot of people think

they’re the same thing.

Just because everyone wears the same colour shirt, this doesn't make them a
team. You might be able to force the group to keep the shirts on but how do
you work on the motivation to work together?

Great teams are constantly improving, building on their strong foundations.

And, each "brick" of this foundation is a teamwork experience. Just as you
shouldn't build a house with faulty bricks (or miss a brick now and again) you
can't build a team without teamwork. Lot's of teamwork – yet we often try.

There are some rules of teamwork that should be understood by all if team
building is ever going to happen.

“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I’ll
remember”. A Drum circle is the perfect way to involve people in the rules of
teamwork.

Human Rhythms NZ | 0800 749 846 | info@humanrhythms.co.nz

Knowing the rules of the drum circle can teach us how to work as a team.
Great teams belong to those who are prepared to play. To those who have
the courage to join the circle, turn up and participate.

The conditions that make for a wonderful Drum Circle in the spirit of
teamwork are:

1. Decide to play

In business and the drum circle you have you find hodads. Right clothes, new
drum, the right jargon, latest computer. They look the part but they never go
where the action is. The relationship is in the circle – you can’t contribute to
the rhythm unless you join the circle. The first rule of teamwork – decide to
play. Turn up, be authentic. Be prepared to be there and nowhere else. One
drum circle may not transform a team but any one drum circle can. One
authentic experience may not transform the team but any one experience can
– but if you’re not present you’ll miss it.

2. Expect to fall off the beat

Good drummers know that for every successful circle they may have to
experience some off beats. Likewise in good teams, members understand
they will make some mistakes here and there. They know that if they’re not
falling off the beat they are playing it too safe. A drum circle has a culture of
no blame – does your team or business do the same?

3. Always look beyond

In drum circle terms this refers to listening to and feeling the rhythm beyond
what you’re playing. Good drum circle players know they must play close
attention to what they’re playing and simultaneously to what’s happening to
the circle as one sound and rhythm – how can their contribution add to the
overall affect. Always looking beyond has two advantages. First, a better
rhythm may be just a beat away. Secondly, if we don’t pay attention to the
entire circle we can miss the rhythm changes or much worse, be left behind.

How many times have your team members missed a slight shift in culture or
expectation?

4. Let silence do the heavy lifting

When there is simply a whole lot of talking going on, team conversations can

Human Rhythms NZ | 0800 749 846 | info@humanrhythms.co.nz

be so empty of meaning they become “white noise”.

Memorable team conversations include breathing space. Full contribution to a

drum circle means not always having to play. Listening is just as important as
playing. Slow down, take a breath and truly understand what is going on,
what is being said. You can’t do that if you’re always making noise.

5. Take responsibility for what you leave behind

There is no trivial comment in a team situation. There is no note played in a

drum circle that doesn’t have an impact. Good teams know how to deliver a
message without the load, without the blame and they communicate with
clarity, conviction and compassion and the team members own every note,
every word spoken and every action taken.

6. Never play alone

By pooling resources, energy and passion we learn more and get to places
we couldn’t reach by ourselves. A drum circle will always succeed when
people give of themselves to the circle – so too, in a team.

7. No dare no flair

Great drum circles, like great teams are always pushing their limits –
combining skills and preparation with boldness and daring continually trying
new rhythms and different sounds. Great teamwork is accepting of that
constant challenge to innovate and simply get better, stronger.

8. Passion rules

The best drum circles, the best teams, involve people who love to be in the
circle, no matter how it progresses. They are totally committed – mind, body
and spirit. They welcome the unexpected – they are partners with the rhythm

That’s it – 8 simple conditions that need to exist for great teamwork. That’s
the easy bit. The real task is creating the conditions.

So, when you next go looking for a “teambuilding” activity, please, be very
certain you understand what you want to achieve. Without teamwork, you
can’t build a team – remember if building a house is a goal, you must have
bricks and mortar. Teamwork is the bricks and mortar to your teambuilding
house.

Human Rhythms NZ | 0800 749 846 | info@humanrhythms.co.nz