In an increasingly global workplace, communication is key. It’s not just the importance of getting your message out. But cutting through the noise and ensuring that your audience hears what you meant to say. It’s more vital than ever that you are seen to be heard, whether that’s by your customers or employees.
We recently led a conference in Columbia. We saw individuals, from lawyers to accountants – who may not have believed they had a musical bone in their body – work together to produce a song. Over the course of a few days, we experienced the power of music to cut through our social, cultural and language barriers to release creative solutions to commercial challenges.
“Even today, music is one of the few ways in which people can connect with each other without language, it is one way in which cultures can not only identify themselves but also communicate with each other and find common ground” – Music and Communication
Music as a Metaphor for Business
We use our passion for music together with our commercial experience, to help individuals and organisations grow and develop.
We’ve seen everyone from Finance to the IT Department and Charities to Call Centres respond positively and productively to music. Working with world-class musicians, we’ve seen it as the means by which an organisation’s vision can be communicated and understood. Putting lofty ideals into lyrics or company culture into a melody has created ownership and connection at every level.
‘The power of music lies in is its ability to speak to all aspects of the human being-the animal, the emotional, the intellectual, and the spiritual. Music teaches us, in short, that everything is connected” – Daniel Barenboim, Pianist and Conductor
Music as a Tool for Problem-Solving
Some have argued that music is a language itself. In fact we’d suggest it’s a powerful tool that we tend to overlook until we’ve experienced it for ourselves.
“Music certainly isn’t a universal language in the sense that you could use it to express any thought to any person on the planet. But music does have the power to evoke deep primal feelings at the core of the shared human experience. It not only crosses cultures, it also reaches deep into our evolutionary past. And it that sense, music truly is a universal language.” – Is Music A Universal Language
Music can be complicated. It can evoke powerful emotions but it’s not just rooted in the heart. Music has the ability to tap into our brains as well and challenge the possibility that it is a language after all.
“What researchers found: The brains of jazz musicians who are engaged with other musicians in spontaneous improvisation show robust activation in the same brain areas traditionally associated with spoken language and syntax. In other words, improvisational jazz conversations “take root in the brain as a language,” Limb said.” – How Brains See Music As Language
Just as jazz music impacts the brain in an unexpected way, music has the ability to bypass our more rational thought-processes. This enables us to approach problems in a different way. So activating other parts of our brain through engaging with music can actually help us become better problem solvers.
We all know the frustration of looking at the same problem for hours. However when we step away from it – take some exercise or a short walk – we suddenly see it from an entirely different perspective. If exercise can release creativity, why shouldn’t music do the same?
Music As a Means of Communication
If communication is ‘the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium’, we’ve seen businesses and other organisations experience new levels of communication through the medium of music. Whether that’s through songwriting, composing music, or joining with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra during one of our KnowtheScore(R) events. We’ve seen delegates engage with their colleagues and the demands of their roles with increased commitment, energy and motivation. Unsurprisingly this translates into a better performance in the office.
“Having been a musician all my life I was well aware of the power of music. Moving Performance unleashed this power on our people and our business. The team quickly lost their inhibitions, got in touch with their emotions and produced a performance; a performance that came straight back to the workplace.” Quote from Call Centre Delegate
We deliver creative solutions that address your business performance needs, from developing leadership to enhancing emotional intelligence. So find out how music can impact your organisation and inspire your team.