Oddfellows employees hit the right notes : Music‐making forms basis of successful team‐building event

Purpose – The aim of the article is to describe how Keynote Teambuilding provided 15 members of staff from the Manchester headquarters of the Oddfellows friendly society with a team‐building experience that covered song creation, playing technique and live performing – all within the space of a couple of hours. Design/methodology/approach – The background to the program, the form it took and the results it achieved are explained in the article. Findings – It is revealed that the staff members who took part were energized by the experience, which brought a more positive feel to the workplace. Practical implications – The article lists the advantages of using music as part of team‐building as: music stimulates creative thinking, which ultimately encourages a more efficient approach to decision making; music has no discrimination, everyone can relate to it; there is a strong relationship between a band and a team, since if one element is out of synchronization the whole band or team can fail; music involves key interaction skills such as listening and communicating, essential for the co‐operation of teams; and learning music allows individuals to gain a sense of achievement and enhance their self‐esteem, unlike traditional fall‐and‐catch‐me games. Social implications – The article argues that team members must not only recognize the importance of their individual role, but more critically they must understand how their role contributes to the overall success of both their team and the organization as a whole. Originality/value – The article recognizes the wide variety of team‐building events on offer and highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate one for each organization.