Akie …unwittingly provided the lyrics to Striking Distance as a Facebook post. It was a sort of free form poem about (perhaps) a less than satisfying band rehearsal. I read the post while in my studio, and got hit with the idea—seemingly out of nowhere—to do a sort of speaking recitation to music.
Read MoreI was reading Bob Dylan’s book, Chronicles, and he starts in on “change”: “Sometimes you know things have to change, are going to change, but you can only feel it—like in that song of Sam Cooke’s, Change is Gonna Come— but you don’t know it in a purposeful way.
Read MoreWhat we do is our song – our actions, emotions, the way we walk down the street, and the way we create our desired results – or not, how we speak, move, breathe, solve problems, celebrate success, deal with disappointment – you get it.
Read MoreThe transformation process I work with is a holistic, systemic model, where the characteristics of the system (organization, team, or individual) cannot only be determined by the properties of its parts. The structure and relationships of the parts determine how the system expresses itself, and sometimes small, leveraged changes can make large impacts on the dynamics and results. Here are a few modalities practitioners experiment with that can support the transformational process.
Read MoreWell, we've talked about the truth in the blues, but what about the music itself? Is it merely a vehicle for the fact, like a new app? The question's a setup, and my answer is, of course, "no." The connection through music brings a whole new gestalt and dimension of its own to the proceedings.
Read MoreLanguage is always at the center of change. Like jazz, words are the notes, conversations the improvisations that invent the future. Words ask the questions and the moment we ask a question, we create a change.
Read MorePurpose is a key ingredient for a strong, sustainable, scalable organizational culture. It’s an unseen-yet-ever-present element that drives an organization. It can be a strategic starting point, a product differentiator, and an organic attractor of users and customers.
Read MoreWhat well-meaning "keep hope alive" brainstorming lovers really mean is this: Even bad ideas can lead to good ideas if the idea originators are committed enough to extract the meaning from the "bad".
Read MoreWhat does Ed Wood and your new list of business challenges have in common?
For this weeks video blog: “How to write a blues lyric”, FTM created a quick 30 second video in the style of a quirky grade B movie genre.
Read MoreA few weeks ago Face The Music posted an article on a leadership activity—CPR (Context, Purpose & Results). The feedback was positive and grateful. A consultant asked if we had a sample CPR so we’re providing this example from an event planner for a music team building she was putting on.
Read MoreExcerpt: It’s the old E-Myth principle where businesses are started by technicians or specialists who haven’t acquired the basic business skills or knowledge, or still assume that business acumen is a minor part of the new business equation. If you’re a yoga instructor, do you really want to start a studio? As an engineer, is starting a company to develop, produce, and market your tech invention the way to go to serve your purpose?
Read MoreSee how Face The Music used their music team building process to facilitate 1700 people to meet, network and write and perform their own songs in an hour and a half. The event was for the NAIS People of Color Conference and took place in New Orleans.
CPR is a powerful tool to focus clearly on what you would like to attain from an event, a project, a meeting, or an action. By clearly stating all the results you would like to obtain, stating the purpose of the activity, and developing a context from which to operate, you focus your intent powerfully and take a direct path to where you wish to go.
Read MoreLeaders determine what happens. Everything we see, know, and experience is (or was) made up. There are extant environmental conditions and facts, and someone gives meaning to them based on their beliefs, values, and personal history, and they envision what’s next and make decisions on how to go about manifesting that—leading the action that will make it happen. They make it up…
Read MoreTelling a story well creates a personal connection (often very strongly) between your audience and your message. Effective stories can change opinions; inspire us to achieve goals that we didn't think were possible; and they can show people how we can change things for the better.
Read MoreEdgewalkers are the ones that see what others cannot see, and they have a commitment to making the world a better place. We need our Edgewalkers more than ever in this uncertain and unpredictable world. The old ways of doing business no longer work, and Edgewalker leaders, and Edgewalker organizations can show us a new and better way.”
Read MoreThere are a lot of issues that can come in to play: fragmented teams, constant change of focus and direction, communication and cooperation, office politics, leadership styles, alignment, etc. What are the key things that you can focus on to make a difference?
Read MoreThere’s being in the game, and then there’s going for the gold! What does it take to stand out from the pack and deliver a winning performance?
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—ideas and inspirations seem to spring up randomly for me, popping into consciousness with a “look at me” and hopefully getting recognition. There seems to be a tough row to hoe in tracking them somehow, evaluating which I should put my energy into, and then acting on them in a focused and powerful way.
Read MoreThe title, “The Perfect Client,” comes from being asked one of those classic questions—you know, like, “what are your core values?”, or “what were you put on this planet to do?” This exercise was “who is your perfect client?” Well, I think going to the “P” word is a trap in itself, so let’s say what is an excellent client?
