INBOX : A different beat

Imagine corporate team-building exercise where not word is spoken. This is one aspect that makes the drumming workshops run by Auckland company Rhythm Interactive so different, says its co-founder John Boone.
Says Boone: “Most team-building activities involve lot of talking – after all, we all like the sound of our own voices. But when René Sterk and I founded Rhythm Interactive, we wanted to do something quite different for the corporate events market.”
Its workshops are facilitated without verbal instructions. Instead each participant from the CEO to the receptionist is given his or her own African drum, called djembe, and everyone takes part in the session.
It’s not just for fun though – the lack of talking is the tool through which the positive team-building effect takes place.
Says Boone: “The theme is ‘actions speak louder than words’, and we believe that when verbal communication is taken away, team members are forced to interact in new way. They learn new things about one another and come closer together as group. It’s very energising experience and it builds internal morale.”
Corporate clients have included Telecom, Harveys Real Estate, Paper Plus and Dick Smith. Sessions range from brief icebreakers to full-on team building workshops.
For more information, see www.rhythminteractive.co.nz/corporates.