The announcement comes through the internal messaging system – the date for the next team building activity.
Throughout the organisation, there are collective groans and eye rolls because the team knows it will be like Groundhog Day – the same old same old. The keynote speaker talking about teamwork and sharing a story while most struggle to stay awake and engaged.
Or it is a physical activity that gets the fit in the office excited but the ones who are not so athletic, cringe and hope they will be sick that day.
Or the trust fall activity. Yes, your colleague might catch you on the day but there is a big difference between doing something because you are expected to and being accountable.
If you are going to do team building, make sure it is something that everyone can connect over, that brings people together in the spirit of creating something worthwhile and also lifts the spirits.
African drumming can do all of this. There are many articles on the healing power of drumming for the individual (here’s one). The same applies to teams. Here’s why and how.
Attitude
You do not have to be Dave Grohl or John Bonham to nail drumming especially as a team building exercise. Drumming as a team is about movement and unifying emotion and thought.
Health
There is something about making music as a team that lifts the spirits – the joy on people’s face when they are in harmony with those around them. Studies have shown that drumming can be great for releasing anger and creating joy. It is all about stress relief – when we hold onto anger and other emotions that create disruption, it leads to illness and disease. Drumming alleviates this.
Connection
When you get African Beat in to do a team building session, there is a team bonding over the drums. By creating a team orchestra, new dynamics are established. Drumming brings people together in creativity and spirit.
Different
Doing the same thing over and over is a recipe for disengagement. There is nothing to look forward to. Even if you do drumming a couple of times a year as a team, each session is different. Different sounds are created. Different beats are generated. Making music is the ultimate in being creative. It makes people smile and have fun.