Culture, Connection & Team Building
We have all heard that any team is only as strong as its weakest link. They may be the person that doesn’t fit in or maybe the person who is the most difficult to work with. They may be the person that doesn’t successfully make it through the “norming” process of team development.
Maybe, it is not just the individual.
Maybe, it is a lack of connection among all of the team members.
Maybe, the team is struggling with identity, vision, purpose or having a clear direction in context of the larger organization.
The most noble and valuable job that has ever existed is that of the storyteller. Great storytellers inspire us to greater heights. Where would we be without Martin Luther King’s, “I have a dream” speech, or Winston Churchill’s “We shall never surrender” address? These great storytellers communicated a culture, a vision, a purpose, a story—to rally individuals to greater purpose; to identify the individual, the team, and the connection.
Let me help you strengthen your storytelling, and your creation of company culture through art and human connection.
Exercise 1 – Company Culture
I meet with leadership to identify cultural pillars or company history to emphasize and communicate. I then develop the visuals digitally, working with leadership throughout the process to ensure it satisfies their vision. After finalization, I recreate this imagery as a traditional artwork to drive internalization, behavior, and cultural change. This exercise may be particularly helpful as you work through organizational remodels, mergers, mixing of cultures, etc.
Exercise 2 – Team Building
I meet with your team one by one to get to know them and discuss their individual contributions. Based off these conversations, I digitally develop visuals that bring these individuals into the overarching objectives, purpose, and culture of your company. After finalizing this imagery with leadership, I recreate it as a custom traditional artwork.
Glaukos Corporation — Team Building Exercise
Here’s how it worked.
1. I connected with the Glaukos marketing team and asked each member to send me a photo of something that was important to them. This ranged from cherished locations, favorite hobbies, sports teams, and even an inside joke.
2. Using these images, I created a single-line drawing that connected each of these subjects together.
3. I recreated that single-line drawing using silver leaf atop a painted abstract background on a custom-made canvas.
4. We setup an unveiling party. Prior to the reveal, everyone picked the name of a fellow team member from a bowl. After the unveiling, they had to guess which subject belonged to their chosen co-worker.
5. We shared laughs over refreshments and enjoyed getting to know each individual on a more personal level.