The Key to Working Together: Replace Networking with Creating
Building genuine connections takes time. In the fast-paced business world, the standard cocktail party or brewery meet-up rarely creates a proper environment for authentic sharing and sparking new collaborations. We usually just leave with a few cards and little confidence to follow-up.
Introducing a Unique Team-Building Experience
That’s why Artistic Leadership (AL) partnered with The CMPND to design a signature team-building experience for associations, networks, community groups, cross-functional teams, and organizations looking to break down silos and empower real connection.
The CMPND: A Premier Team-Building Space in Downtown Winston-Salem
With space for presentations, breakouts, podcasts, lunch, and socializing, The CMPND is a creative studio downtown Winston-Salem, right across from the new Kaleideum. Most of the time it serves as a co-working space for local artists and entrepreneurs, but it is also available for private rentals as a one-of-a-kind creative space for team building and events. Ideal for seated experiences of up to 20 people and standing receptions of up to 40.
Launch Event with Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. Ambassadors
To kick off the launch of their collaboration, The CMPND hosted a group of Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. Ambassadors for a full-day experience with AL founder and chief artist, Tiffany Thompson. This blog recounts the playful exercises and outcomes of an all-day, turnkey team building experience where work doesn’t feel like work, it feels like play!
Starting the Day: Coffee and Conversations
Located just down the street from Camino Bakery, The CMPND team provided coffee and pastries in the private studio space, the perfect way to settle into the day, meet a few new people, and get coffee without having to move locations to start the sessions.
A Unique Musical Touch
Participants realized something was different about this team-building experience when I pulled out my guitar and sang “New Communions” with DJ and CMPND co-founder Spencer Aubrey. Emotion was invited into the room, and the lyrics assured them: “admission is free, just confess you’re a human with a heart open wide to new communions.”
Tuning In: Reflecting on Collaborative Success
Our first module, Tuning In, asks participants to reflect on a time they achieved success because of collaborating with others. They were given 15 minutes to sit together in silence and write. Journal prompts were provided, and the quiet space ensured no interruptions. Then the group split into four small groups to share their stories and get to know a few people on a deeper level. These conversations were confidential and not shared with the larger group, creating the opportunity for trust to build and voices to be heard.
Creative Output: Rhyming Couplets
The output of the small group time is a collection of rhymed verses that can be used for song lyrics. Tiffany led a session around tone, message, collaboration, and tuning into the details of the story. Once they had a draft of the song, she stepped out of the room and into the studio to work on the finishing touches. Meanwhile, the participants were hungry!
Lunch with a Twist: Collaborative Cooking
But since this day was about unleashing creativity and connecting with people, they didn’t just eat tacos: they made them!
For this experience, AL brought in Dr. Chelsea Cromartie, a trained educator and chef specializing in vegan and non-vegan soul food. Chelsea designed a session where participants were divided into small groups, each responsible for part of the lunch menu. They were given the ingredients but no recipe or instructions. They had to collaborate, find out each other’s skills, and make something tasty! Laughter filled the room as knives scraped cutting boards and gloved hands plopped juicy onions into sizzling pans.
Dessert: The Finished Song
When Tiffany returned from the studio with a finished song, everyone was enjoying the delicious rice and beans with mushroom tacos. Sharing the song live, with a singable chorus, created a moment where everyone realized that the morning’s storytelling and creative work had led to the creation of a new song they enjoyed.
Final Creative Act: Kintsugi Workshop
With the second module concluded, The CMPND team reset the room for our final creative act: Kintsugi. The Japanese art of mending broken items with gold provides a powerful metaphor and learning container for teams trying to grow in resilience, thrive in discomfort, and teamwork. AL’s approach to this modality involves a twist! Instead of mending their own broken items, participants broke their tiles personally, connected to them, and then moved around the table in a sequence of musical chairs, working on each other’s broken items. This created a deep sense of investment, as participants weren’t just making their items beautiful but were caring for something special to someone else. A standout moment was when one of the participants, the owner of a demolition company, impressed everyone with his super glue skills, fixing a broken item no one else could. Another participant said she finally felt in touch with her creative energy.
Ending the Day: Private Party with DJ
The core modules wrapped up right around 4:00 PM, but instead of heading to another location for happy hour, The CMPND flipped the room one more time, turning it into a private pop-up bar with a live DJ! Participants toasted with ice-cold rosé, beer, and even a spiked version of the mocktail they made at lunch.
The ROI of Creative Team Building
You might be thinking: wow, that sounds fun, but what ROI can I pitch to my boss or HR Team? With 10+ 5-star reviews, it was clear that this experience delivered:
Increased confidence in personal creativity.
Practice collaborating with new people in ambiguous environments.
A team-building experience about working together that didn’t feel like work!
Delivering Creative Assets for Storytelling
In addition to the interpersonal ROI, Artistic Leadership Productions’ signature approach to team building always includes the delivery of creative assets for internal and external storytelling. Greater Winston-Salem Inc. and all the Ambassadors now have access to:
Their group song, written and recorded by Tiffany Thompson. Click to listen.
Their experience pictures, shot and edited by Bosh novArt. Examples in this article. See this LinkedIn Post.
A video of their experience for use on social media. See below.
Additional creative assets could include headshots, podcasts, team photos, and jingles.
The Benefits of Art in Reducing Stress
In the city of arts and innovation, this experience delivered something at the intersection of both. In the new book “Your Brain on Art,” research shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, regardless of skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years!
Investing in Your Team's Creative Flourishing
If companies and organizations are serious about the flourishing of the people who make them successful, then it’s time to create together! Otherwise, they risk being the archetype of poet and business consultant David Whyte’s exhortation in “The Aroused Heart,” “For all their emphasis on the bottom line, companies are adrift from the very engine at the center of a person’s creative application to work, they cultivate a workforce unable to respond with personal artistry to the confusion of the global market.”
Ready to invest in the creative flourishing of your team in the Greater Winston-Salem area? Ready to unleash the creative spirit of people in your organization or institution?
Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.
Detailed Timeline of Activities
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Coffee and Conversations
The day will begin with an informal gathering over coffee, providing an excellent opportunity for participants to network and settle in.
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Songwriting Workshop
Participants will engage in crafting their own lyrics, an exercise in creative expression and empowerment. This session is designed to harness the collective creativity of the group, resulting in original compositions that will be shared amongst the group.
12:00 PM - 12:15 PM: Break
12:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch
This will be hosted by a local artisan chef with a playful team-building component and plenty of time to catch up on calls or emails.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Kintsugi Workshop
This session will focus on the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery, symbolizing the embracing of flaws and imperfections. The activity will parallel lessons in resilience and recovery, applicable both in personal lives and professional environments.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Happy Hour with DJ
The day will conclude with a happy hour, featuring a DJ who will provide a lively atmosphere for participants to unwind, celebrate the day’s achievements, and strengthen new connections.