Teamwork among our employees is critical for achieving our goals, but we realized it cannot be accomplished simply through lectures and theoretical discussions.

Some companies send their managers to seminars or have them participate in activities like white water rafting, hoping to develop teamwork as the staff navigate the rough waters together. However, we were inspired to try our own Johari brand of team building one day during a festival in India. 

An idea occurred to us from seeing a “stomp show” in Las Vegas in which performers use everyday household objects as musical instruments. We quickly organized a gathering and asked our employees to bring any rejected material from their work area that could be used to make sound.

Soon people brought out packaging boxes and sticks, bags with plastic granules or components, printed circuit boards, waste iron sheets and more. Others brought glasses, cups, spoons, brooms—whatever they could find in five minutes!

A leader was assigned, and when he clapped his hands, the group was asked to follow by making sounds with their workplace materials. At first, the group was off beat from each other and the noise was deafening. But as the leader began to clap out simple rhythms, the group gradually got the knack of it and responded in synchronization. Within a few minutes the hall was full of rhythmic beats.

Everyone became energized and thrilled with the “music” being made. Each person felt he or she was part of the orchestra and related the experience to teamwork. The employees also realized that even a single instrument out of sync could destroy the performance. With our Johari symphony, we were able to promote team spirit and cooperation far more effectively than a sophisticated seminar or expensive rafting trip could achieve.