He was mad! As I sat in the dark theater drinking my Coke and chewing on my buttered popcorn, I felt the excitement flow through me as I waited for the screening of the 20th Century Fox movie “Drumline.” I leaned back in my seat. and I was carried away by the sounds, movements and competition of the film. I enjoyed a stress-free and entertaining afternoon watching Nick Cannon, Orlando Jones, Leonard Roberts, Zoe Saldana, Jason Weaver, and J. Anthony Brown demonstrate what life is like for a child “marching to the beat of his own drum.” in an environment that required him to march at the same pace as his team.
It took Nick Cannon a moment to connect with the “one band, one sound” philosophy of his marching band. In fact, it took his character to retire from the marching band before he realized that the essence of the “one band, one sound” philosophy was really about teamwork.
I loved that movie! It was a feel-good movie that not only entertained, but also taught great lessons. I walked away from “Drumline” internalizing the philosophy of “one band, one sound”. It impacted me so much that I recorded it in my journal in 2005 and now I focus my article on that.
“One band, one sound” was a clever way of showing us all the importance and benefits of teamwork. It can be applied to each and every situation in which teamwork is essential in our lives.
“One Band, One Sound” reminds us that teamwork is the concept of people working together cooperatively to achieve a desired goal.
“One band, one sound” highlights the importance of the following characteristics that must be present for teamwork to work successfully, such as:
1) Vision
2) Communication skills
3) Auditory skills
4) Initiative
5) Support
6) Focus
7) Trust
8) Collaboration
9) Respect
Vision is needed to move our teams from where they are to where we want them to be. Understanding the vision of our team, company or project helps us get started and complete our necessary tasks to make our dreams come true.
Communication skills enable our teams to convey information that is easily received and understood. Sharing ideas, giving opinions and giving feedback gives us the opportunity to express our message so that our teammates receive it clearly.
Listening skills are important because they allow us to show genuine interest in what is being communicated. Whether we report, update, instruct, demonstrate, or acknowledge, listening skills actively engage us in our teams, which in turn helps us stay more connected to the team’s vision.
Initiative is the energy that moves our teams forward and allows the strengths and abilities of individual team members to become apparent to the team as a whole. Support provides the assistance that our team members provide to each other and that helps build bonds within our teams. The focus is necessary to optimize the energy and effort of the team members towards the final vision of our team, project or company.
Confidence helps team members release inhibitions and communicate openly with each other. It is the motivation behind the teams advancing unanimously. Collaboration connects our team members with one another with a common goal. When trust and vision are present, collaboration brings us together to produce positive results for the team.
Respect leads our teams through challenges and conflicts. It provides us with “objective and impartial consideration and respect for the rights, values, beliefs and property” of our team members. It doesn’t matter if there are personality conflicts or time challenges, mutual respect and the goal of our team helps us to be “one band, one sound”.
Susan M. Heathfield, human resources author for About.com, says that “teamwork is something you do every day.”
I agree. What we must consider is that not only the above characteristics are necessary for effective teamwork and we not only do it every day; but we must remember to maintain the philosophy of “one band, one sound” by:
o Provide ongoing training to teach our teams systematic methods to expend energy on a project, task, or duty;
o Holding periodic team meetings to review the progress of our projects;
o Hold fun events in addition to business meetings as a way to promote positive connections among our team members; and
o Celebrate the success of our teams in public, for others to know and see.
It is not easy to work with people who are different from you, especially when there are personality conflicts. As shown in the movie “Drumline,” personalities can help keep team members apart. However, those differences can also serve as the hidden power for effective teamwork.
Just keep in mind that although personalities can clash and differences can exist, as long as vision, communication skills, listening skills, initiative, support, focus, trust, collaboration, and respect are present. , the team members will become “a band, a sound”.
