Tune Into Leadership through Music Based Program
Trainer: Stephany Noëllis
Overview
This comprehensive program integrates seven unique syllabi, each focusing on essential workplace themes: communication, problem-solving and decision-making, time management, leadership, adaptability, empathy, and critical thinking. By blending music, gamification, and creativity, this program delivers substantial benefits to both employers and employees.
Benefits for Employers
- A More Engaged Workforce: Music and gamified activities create an engaging learning environment that motivates employees.
- Stronger Team Dynamics: Fosters collaboration, trust, and mutual respect among employees.
- Improved Problem-Solving and Innovation: Equips employees to address challenges and brainstorm innovative ideas.
- Higher Productivity and Efficiency: Skills like time management and leadership lead to tangible improvements.
- A Creative and Resilient Culture: Nurtures innovation and resilience through music-based activities.
Benefits for Employees
- Holistic Skill Development: Includes communication, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking.
- Increased Confidence and Leadership Abilities: Empowers employees to take initiative and inspire peers.
- Enhanced Creativity and Adaptability: Encourages out-of-the-box thinking and flexibility.
- Stronger Emotional Intelligence: Builds empathy and emotional management.
- Reduced Stress and Better Work-Life Balance: Leverages music’s therapeutic nature for well-being.
The Role of Gamification
- Boosts Engagement: Keeps learners motivated and interested.
- Fosters Healthy Competition: Encourages excellence through friendly challenges.
- Improves Retention: Ensures lasting memory of key lessons.
- Encourages Collaboration: Strengthens workplace relationships through team-based games.
How Creativity Enhances the Program
- Encourages Innovation: Inspires employees to develop new solutions.
- Promotes Self-Expression: Fosters a more inclusive environment.
- Breaks Monotony: Refreshes employees and sparks ideas.
- Fosters Emotional Connection: Builds empathy through shared musical experiences.
Summary of Key Gains from the Program
For Employers
- A more engaged, productive, and innovative workforce.
- Strengthened team dynamics and leadership pipelines.
- Improved organizational adaptability and resilience.
For Employees
- Essential workplace skills for career advancement.
- Increased creativity, confidence, and emotional intelligence.
- A more fulfilling and less stressful work experience.
Outcome of the Complete Program
By completing all seven sessions, participants will emerge as well-rounded, confident, and adaptable employees with the leadership qualities and interpersonal skills necessary to excel in their roles.
Program 1: “Resonating Voices” (Communication)
Duration: 5 hours
Objective: To strengthen communication skills through music-based activities that foster active listening, clear expression, non-verbal cues, and collaboration.
1. Welcome & Introduction
Music helps convey emotions, understand others, and express ourselves more clearly. Through this program, we will focus on listening, expressing, and collaborating more effectively using music as a tool.
2. Warm-Up: Vocal Vibrations
Objective: Break the ice and emphasize vocal and non-verbal communication.
- Vocal warm-up with humming, scales, or sounds.
- Call-and-response game increasing in complexity.
- Use of non-verbal cues to alter tone or rhythm.
Takeaway: Awareness of vocal tones, active listening, and body language.
3. Game 1: Musical Charades
Objective: Practice non-verbal communication and interpretation.
- Teams receive a concept card (e.g., teamwork, conflict).
- Create a short piece to express the concept using music only.
- Other teams guess the concept.
Takeaway: Recognize and interpret non-verbal communication.
4. Game 2: Lyric Storytelling
Objective: Enhance clarity and creativity in verbal communication.
- Create a short story using song lyrics in small groups.
- Perform the story rhythmically.
Takeaway: Clear verbal expression and creative storytelling.
5. Collaborative Jam: Musical Conversations
Objective: Develop conversational flow and active listening.
- Pairs exchange musical “questions and answers” using instruments.
Takeaway: The give-and-take of effective conversation.
6. Reflection Circle: Echo Chamber
Objective: Encourage thoughtful self-expression and group feedback.
- Participants share challenges and insights with a talking stick.
- Others echo back emotions or key points.
Takeaway: Builds confidence and empathetic listening.
7. Closing Activity: Harmony Song
Objective: Solidify group unity and reinforce communication.
- Each participant contributes a line to a group-composed song.
Takeaway: Leaves participants with a collaborative, musical memory of the session.
Materials Needed
- Percussion instruments (drums, tambourines, maracas)
- Simple melodic instruments (guitar, keyboards)
- Cards with concepts for Musical Charades
- Paper and pens for Lyric Storytelling
- Talking stick or small instrument for Reflection Circle
Key Outcomes
- Improved verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
- Enhanced ability to listen actively and interpret messages.
- Greater confidence in expressing ideas and emotions.
Program 2: Harmonizing Decisions (Problem-solving and Decision Making)
Duration: 5 hours
Objective: To enhance problem-solving and decision-making skills in employees through creative music-based activities that promote collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
1. Warm-Up: Rhythm of Unity
Objective: Build group cohesion and introduce the theme of teamwork.
- Provide percussion instruments (drums, tambourines, shakers).
- Start with a simple rhythm, increase complexity by adding individual rhythms.
- End with a synchronized group rhythm.
Takeaway: Listening and alignment are key to achieving shared goals.
2. Game 1: Musical Puzzle
Objective: Encourage creative problem-solving and teamwork.
- Divide into small groups with mixed-up song snippets.
- Reconstruct the song using instruments or vocals.
- Present reconstructed song to others.
Takeaway: Teamwork and communication are essential to solving problems.
3. Game 2: Soundtrack to Success
Objective: Teach strategic thinking and emotional decision-making.
- Create a soundtrack that represents overcoming a workplace challenge.
- Use instruments or vocal effects to symbolize stages of the problem-solving process.
- Explain musical choices and emotions behind them.
Takeaway: Visualize solutions through creativity and empathy.
4. Collaborative Jam: Musical Maze
Objective: Practice collective decision-making in real-time.
- Navigate an imaginary maze using sound cues from a leader.
- Follow specific instrument signals to move.
Takeaway: Promotes active listening, adaptability, and trust in leadership.
5. Reflection Circle: Musical Insights
Objective: Consolidate learning and workplace application.
- Play calming music in the background.
- Share takeaways and real-life application.
- End with a group affirmation or chant.
6. Closing Activity: Harmony Wall
Objective: Create a tangible reminder of teamwork.
- Each writes a phrase about “harmony at work” on a board.
- Decorate with colors or musical notes.
- Musical instruments
- Printed lyrics or notes for puzzles
- Large board and markers
- Background music
Program 3: Rhythms of Time (Time Management)
Duration: 5 hours
Objective: To improve time management skills through music-based activities that foster awareness of timing, prioritization, collaboration, and focus.
1. Warm-Up: Keeping the Beat
Objective: Introduce timing and focus.
- Clap/tap to steady beat with tempo variations.
- Layer rhythms with syncopated patterns.
Takeaway: Shows the value of pacing and adaptability.
2. Game 1: The Prioritization Symphony
Objective: Develop prioritization and decision-making.
- Groups plan musical arrangements with instrument priorities.
- Perform and explain sequencing choices.
Takeaway: Emphasizes task prioritization.
3. Game 2: Task Tempo Challenge
Objective: Practice adaptability and pacing.
- Walk while reading article aloud to changing music tempos.
- Coordinate movement and speech with tempo changes.
Takeaway: Encourages flexibility in time management.
4. Active Challenge: Beat Balancing Act
Objective: Enhance multitasking skills.
- Partner rhythm play with switching roles and patterns.
- Introduce new pairs for layered performance.
Takeaway: Demonstrates coordination and task management.
5. Collaborative Jam: Time Blocks
Objective: Allocate and use time efficiently.
- Groups write song sections within 15 minutes.
- Merge and perform under 2-minute time limit.
Takeaway: Promotes structured collaboration and timing.
6. Reflection Circle: The Sound of Time
Objective: Foster self-awareness and feedback.
- Share time management challenges and learnings.
- Group echoes or claps to affirm ideas.
7. Closing Activity: Rhythm Recap
Objective: Reinforce teamwork and session themes.
- Each participant adds a beat to group rhythm.
- Celebrate final group performance.
Materials Needed
- Percussion instruments
- MP3 music with varying tempos
- Paper and pens
- Talking stick or small instrument
Key Outcomes
- Improved task and priority management
- Enhanced focus and adaptability
- Effective planning and execution strategies
- Confidence in time-related challenges
Program 4: Leadership through Music (Leadership)
This program incorporates fun, interactive games that not only promote leadership development but also foster team spirit, adaptability, and creative problem-solving.
Objective
To enhance leadership skills, decision-making, and team dynamics using music as a tool for emotional expression, communication, and creativity.
Duration
5 Hours
1. Welcome & Introduction
- Begin with an introduction to music therapy and its role in leadership. Explain how music taps into the emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions of leadership.
- Activity: Ice-breaker – Name that Tune: A quick and light-hearted game where participants guess songs based on a few notes. Helps break the ice and set the tone for the session.
2. Building Leadership Through Sound
- Leaders often face decisions under pressure. Music can help access intuition, focus, and creativity.
- Activity: Leadership Decision-Making Inspired by Music
- Objective: This activity is designed to explore how emotions and feelings evoked by music can influence group decision-making, particularly in a leadership context.
- Setup:
- Group Formation: Participants form a circle, either standing or sitting. This arrangement encourages equal participation and a sense of unity.
- Music Selection: Play a short, instrumental piece of music. Choose a piece with varied dynamics (e.g., soft and intense moments) to evoke a range of emotions and imagery without the influence of lyrics.
- Reflection: After playing the music, ask the group to reflect on the experience. Some guiding questions could include:
- “What feelings or images did the music evoke for you?”
- “Did you feel calm, anxious, energized, or something else?”
- “How did the changing tempo or instruments affect your emotional state?”
- Discussion: Give participants a few moments to share their thoughts and feelings. Encourage them to speak openly about their emotional responses and any specific images that came to mind during the music.
- Presenting the Hypothetical Leadership Decision:
- Scenario Introduction: Present a leadership decision scenario to the group. For example: “Imagine your company is in a crisis: there’s been a significant product recall that could affect the company’s reputation. The leadership team has to decide whether to openly address the issue immediately with the public, issue a smaller, more cautious statement, or wait for further information before taking action. What would your collective decision be?”
- Guiding the Group’s Decision-Making: Ask the group to discuss the situation and come to a consensus. Encourage them to draw inspiration from the emotions or imagery evoked by the music:
- “Does the calmness or tension in the music suggest a need for a careful, measured response, or does it inspire a sense of urgency and decisiveness?”
- “How does the pace of the music relate to the need for a swift or delayed action in the crisis?”
- Collective Decision: After some discussion, ask the group to come to a collective decision based on their reflections. They should be able to explain how the music influenced their approach, whether it led them to act more cautiously, more boldly, or with empathy.
- Example of Outcome: Suppose the music had a dramatic, fast-paced section followed by a calm, introspective passage. The group might feel a sense of urgency from the intense portion of the music, suggesting that they need to act quickly to address the crisis. However, the calm section might inspire a more measured approach, indicating the need for thoughtful communication. The group might then decide to issue a quick statement acknowledging the recall but also ensure transparency and care in the details shared with the public.
- Debriefing: After the decision has been made, debrief the activity. Ask the group:
- “How did the music impact your decision-making process?”
- “Were there moments when the music caused a shift in the direction of your discussions?”
- “How can this experience be applied to real-life leadership decisions, where emotions and urgency play a role?”
3. Rhythm & Teamwork
- Activity: The Leadership Drumming Circle
- Rhythm is fundamental in music and team cohesion. Strong leadership requires coordination and the ability to guide a team through rhythm and timing.
- Instructions:
- Divide the group into smaller teams. Each team will have one drum (or various percussion instruments).
- One person in each group will start a simple rhythm. The rest of the team must follow, matching the timing and intensity of the beat.
- After a few minutes, change the leader in each group and see how the team adapts.
- Debrief: Reflect on how leadership shifts and how the team responded. Discuss the importance of leading by example and being adaptable as a leader.
4. Creative Decision Making & Problem Solving
- Activity: The Improvised Symphony
- Trainer Explanation: Leaders must make decisions in unpredictable situations. In music, improvisation encourages creativity and adaptability.
- Instructions:
- Divide the group into small teams.
- Each team will create an impromptu piece of music (using body percussion, instruments, or voice). They must make collective decisions about rhythm, melody, and harmony, simulating a group leadership dynamic.
- Give them a scenario where they must make decisions about an unexpected problem or change in their environment while performing their piece. (E.g., “The tempo changes abruptly—how do you handle it?”)
- Debrief: Analyze the performance, focusing on how teams handled the pressure of improvisation and problem-solving. Discuss how creativity in leadership can help solve challenges under uncertainty.
5. Team Building through Song Composition
- Activity: Write Your Leadership Anthem
- Trainer Explanation: A strong leader often communicates a vision. Creating a collective anthem reflects how leaders convey purpose and inspire others.
- Instructions:
- Teams are tasked with composing a short song or chant that reflects their leadership values or vision. They can use simple melodies, rhythms, or lyrics.
- Once the songs are composed, each team performs their leadership anthem to the group.
- Debrief: Discuss how the act of creating a collective piece reflects the importance of unity in leadership. Encourage participants to think about how they communicate their vision and values in their leadership roles.
6. Conclusion & Reflection
- Trainer Explanation: Summarize the key takeaways from the workshop: the importance of intuition in decision-making, adaptability, creativity in leadership, and the power of collaboration.
- Reflection Exercise: Ask participants to reflect on the day’s activities and write down one leadership trait they want to develop further using the music therapy experience.
- Closing Activity: Participants share their reflections, and the group sings a final, collaborative chant to close the workshop.
Materials Needed
- Drums/percussion instruments (or improvised items)
- Audio equipment (for playing instrumental music)
- Paper and pens for songwriting
- A space large enough for group activities
Program 5: Building Empathy Through Music (Empathy)
Objective: To foster empathy, emotional awareness, and interpersonal understanding through music, enabling participants to connect on a deeper level and build stronger relationships.
Duration: 3 Hours
1. Welcome & Introduction
Introduction to the concept of empathy and how music can act as a bridge for emotional understanding. Highlight the ways music influences emotions and fosters shared experiences.
- Ice-breaker Activity: “Emotion Soundtrack”
- Ask participants to name a song that reflects their current mood.
- Play a short snippet of a selected few, discussing how the music conveys emotions.
2. Exploring Emotional Resonance
Activity: Musical Emotion Mapping
Trainer Explanation: Emotions can be expressed and understood through music’s tempo, tone, and melody. Leaders and team members who are empathetic can pick up on subtle emotional cues in communication.
- Play brief snippets of instrumental music that convey different emotions (e.g., joy, sadness, anger, serenity).
- After each snippet, participants write down the emotion they felt and why they felt it.
- Pair participants to discuss their interpretations and compare notes.
Debrief: Highlight how music can evoke different emotional responses depending on personal experiences. Emphasize the importance of understanding others’ perspectives.
3. Team Bonding Through Story & Music
This activity enhances active listening, memory retention, and emotional intelligence, while also providing a creative outlet for expressing empathy through music. It combines storytelling and musical reflection to deepen interpersonal understanding.
- Activity: Empathy Story Sharing and Musical Reflection
- Trainer Explanation: Empathy starts with deep listening. Understanding someone’s story, retaining details, and accurately reflecting it builds trust and connection. Music can amplify the emotions behind these stories, allowing us to connect on a deeper level.
- Step 1: Sharing Personal Moments
- Pair participants into groups of two.
- Each person takes turns sharing an important moment from their life (it can be happy, sad, or any significant memory). Encourage them to include vivid details such as dates, colors, places, and most importantly, emotions.
- The listener focuses on understanding the story fully, noting key details and the emotions conveyed without interrupting.
- Step 2: Retelling the Story
- The listener then summarizes the story to another group (a small group of 4-6 participants).
- While retelling, the listener must highlight important details such as:
- Key events
- Dates or timelines
- Descriptive elements (colors, places, etc.)
- Emotions expressed
- Step 3: Musical Reflection (15 mins)
- After the retelling, the small group collaborates to create a musical piece that reflects the emotions and themes of the stories they’ve shared.
- Use simple instruments (or body percussion, humming, etc.) to convey the mood.
- A happy moment might be reflected with upbeat rhythms and melodies.
- A reflective or sad moment might involve slower, more melodic tones.
- Each group performs their musical reflection for the larger group, explaining how they used the music to represent the stories they heard.
Debrief: Trainer-Led Discussion on how sharing your story and hearing it reflected back through music feels, and how it teaches us about listening and connecting with others.
4. Empathy in Communication
Activity: The Empathy Melody
- Participants pair up. Each pair takes turns humming a melody that reflects how they feel. The partner must listen, identify the emotion, and respond with a complementary melody.
- Groups can later share their melodies and describe the emotions they intended to express.
Reflect on how actively listening to another’s emotional expression deepens connection and understanding.
5. Songwriting for Shared Stories
Activity: Compose an Empathy Anthem
- Divide participants into small groups and assign each group a theme (e.g., overcoming challenges, celebrating diversity, showing kindness).
- Groups write lyrics and compose a short song based on their theme, incorporating each member’s input.
- Each group performs their song, with others providing positive feedback on how well the emotions were expressed.
Discuss the process of creating the song and how the group integrated different perspectives into a cohesive expression.
6. Conclusion & Reflection
- Reflection Exercise: Each participant writes a short note about how they will use what they learned to practice empathy in daily life.
- Closing Activity: End with a collaborative group song, where each participant contributes a line or phrase on the board reflecting the workshop experience.
Program 6: Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Music
Objective: To cultivate critical thinking skills such as analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making using music as a dynamic medium for exploration.
Duration: 5 Hours
1. Welcome & Introduction
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate perspectives, and make reasoned decisions. Music offers a unique way to sharpen these skills by requiring us to interpret, deconstruct, and make sense of its patterns and structure. In today’s session, we’ll use music to develop these abilities in an engaging, collaborative way.
2. Activity: Musical Analysis Challenge
Trainer Explanation: Music is filled with hidden structures and patterns that we can use to enhance our ability to think critically. In this activity, you’ll be tasked with analyzing a piece of music in depth. We’ll listen to a song and break it down into its components: melody, harmony, rhythm, and structure. As you analyze the piece, think about how each part contributes to the overall message or emotion of the song. By critically listening to music, you’re practicing how to analyze complex situations or problems by focusing on the details and understanding how they fit together.
- Divide participants into small teams of 4-6 people.
- Play an instrumental piece of music (classical, jazz, or instrumental pop works well).
- Provide each team with a worksheet containing questions to guide their analysis:
- What instruments do you hear?
- How is the piece structured (e.g., verse, chorus, bridge)?
- What is the tempo, rhythm, and mood?
- What message or emotion does the piece convey?
- Teams discuss their observations and complete the analysis sheet.
Debrief: Discuss how different components of the music contributed to its overall effect and how these lessons can be applied to analyzing complex problems or situations.
3. Activity: Musical Debate – A Tale of Two Songs
Trainer Explanation: Debate helps you refine your critical thinking by presenting opposing views. In this activity, you’ll be debating which song better communicates its intended message or emotion. Each side must use evidence from the song to support their claim.
- Play two contrasting songs (e.g., one happy and upbeat, one slow and melancholic).
- Split the group into two teams: one will argue in favor of the first song, the other for the second.
- Teams must find evidence from the music (lyrics, instrumentation, tone) to support their argument and present their case in a debate format.
Debrief: Reflect on how debating with evidence improves decision-making and strengthens critical thinking skills.
4. Activity: Lyrics as Riddles
Trainer Explanation: Abstract lyrics can be challenging to decode, but this exercise strengthens your ability to decipher hidden meanings in ambiguous situations. This activity encourages creative thinking and the use of imagination to explore multiple interpretations.
- Provide participants with several song lyrics that are abstract or metaphorical in nature (e.g., Bob Dylan, Radiohead, etc.).
- Ask participants to interpret the lyrics and share their interpretations with the group.
- Have a discussion about how metaphor and symbolism are used in lyrics to convey deeper meanings.
Debrief: Discuss how decoding lyrics is similar to analyzing ambiguous situations in real life, where critical thinking is necessary to uncover hidden truths.
5. Conclusion & Reflection
- Reflection Exercise: Participants share one key insight they learned about critical thinking through music.
- Closing Activity: Group brainstorm on how they can apply the critical thinking skills learned today to their professional or personal lives.
Venue:
Nouvelle Usine, Office 9, First Floor, Mangalkhan, Floréal