Assessment.  Planning.  Implementation.  Evaluation.  Adaptation.
Skills every business needs for success.  

Every training program out there talks about these things in an academic setting.  But there’s another way to go about it, a way that has been time-tested for centuries.  For thousands of years people have perpetuated their values and life lessons through story and metaphor.  This approaches understanding indirectly in a way that resonates in a different part of the brain;  the part that wants to be inspired and understood, and the part that wants to experience life to the fullest.

Teaching through metaphor is my specialty, and it’s one that is readily conveyed through experiential education.  I just happen to do it using drums and percussion from around the planet.  Facilitated Interactive Rhythm Experiences use a village model:  everyone is responsible for our collective success regardless of the role we each play.  Through leadership-focused rhythm programs I get to draw parallels to larger life, and those five skills listed above show up in that activity EVERY SINGLE TIME.  Because this is a hands-on experience, we're working to embody rather than simply think about these processes, and that’s a wholly different approach to understanding.

Here’s how it can work for your budding leaders:  

1.  They’re going to be immersed in an unfamiliar situation and expected to deliver through communication, cooperation, and collaboration.  Teaching point:  we’re all in this together and we can’t do it alone.  Growth rarely happens without some discomfort.

2.  It’s an ever-changing environment.  Teaching point:  leadership requires perpetual attention and careful consideration. 
 
3.  The things you try to implement aren’t always going to work.  Teaching point:  picking up the pieces to keep things moving forward is a must.  Learning from failure is useful, and essential.

4.  Every successful endeavor ultimately requires balance and sustainability.  Teaching point:  Figuring out what’s missing and filling that gap for the sake of the whole is an important leadership function.

5.  Clear, concise, and consistent communication is essential.  Teaching point:  congruency and clarity work.  Without them we create a mess that leaves our teams floundering.  

6. Perspective makes a difference.   Teaching point:  looking at things from different angles affects how we create and influence community and organizational culture.

BONUS:  Participation in this modality has inherent health and wellness benefits (both physiological and psychosocial).  Stress reduction is a HUGE need in our modern world of overwhelm and constant connection.  You’ll get it here, even without the conscious effort to do so.

SUMMARY:  It’s often helpful to change our perspective in order to see things in a new way.  Rhythm-based programs do just that.  It’s an experience, not a lecture.  Click HERE to see the possibilities.

Previously published on LinkedIn March 11, 2016