I am at the New York office of Notion, a successful startup from Silicon Valley that focuses on collaboration tools. A sizable group of engineers, programmers, and human resources employees gather in a large conference room, waiting for a team-building coordinator to start the event. Some of them chat quietly, while others appear a little nervous because they don’t know what to expect. The New York Jazz Workshop has been invited by Notion to inspire their staff with a unique group of activities.
Marc Mommaas, the cofounder of the New York Jazz Workshop, begins by playing snippets of jazz recordings. He asks questions about the recordings that he plays for his audience, purposefully guiding them through a maze of sounds. He then brings in his partner, a saxophone, and in this corporate conference room, the two crack the levee wide open, allowing the visual and energetic aspects of jazz to canter in. Smiles creep up on faces as the music viscerally softens their initial jitters, igniting vibrations like those experienced when holding a purring cat. This is not an everyday occurrence, and the excitement is palpable.
Next, he invites a drummer, bass player, and guitarist, one by one, to convey, in real time, the harmony that can be achieved through listening, patience, improvisation, and emancipation from yesterday’s great idea. The vision of the enraptured staff has been altered because they have witnessed how the musicians trusted the music and their abilities to create a masterpiece together. They may not be able to articulate it yet, but they are gaining years of experienced teamwork in a short period of time.
Creativity and innovation are born in an atmosphere that encourages taking risks and releasing judgments. That Notion had the foresight to invite the New York Jazz Workshop into their workplace is an indication of their receptiveness. Work culture thrives in an atmosphere that allows employees to feel safe enough to fail. A bad idea is better than no idea. A company that instills too much fear and control can produce silence instead of music.
The tech staff who started off on the quiet side is now bolstered by the spontaneously formed band and each other. There is warmth and giddiness in the air as they ask questions and offer suggestions. The leader, musicians, and their audience have become almost symbiotic.
Even in a perfect world, where people feel as though they have the freedom to try out something new, there can be clashes. Mr. Mommaas speaks to this in the context of jazz. When an idea isn’t working, a leader needs to be able to pivot and try out a different approach, just like a jazz musician who hangs back for a moment, takes in the scene, and gets back into the mix knowing, as the former professional ice hockey player and coach Wayne Gretzky said, “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” No leader wants staff who are hiding behind their good work, missing out on possibly fertile musings.
As the afternoon continues, there are interactive exercises that naturally promote improvisation and rhythm. The crowd is willing to follow the path of the moderator to a place where the destination is unknown, but they have a sense that they can get there with this newly created team. That intuition is a valuable asset for a business.
Team-building exercises do not have to be cerebral and easily forgotten. As Shakespeare wisely said, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.” Fear can be the brute in a workplace. Music has the power to get us out of our heads and into a space where ideas can incubate and be born.
For more information about the team building activities offered by the New York Jazz Workshop please visit https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/team-building/