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JEREMY POLMEAR oboe, cor anglais, alto saxophone DIANA AMBACHE piano

The Listening Manager
Realising your assets through music and performance

How often does "don't bother me, I'm too busy" cut us off from what we really need to know about our organisation's problems, and our people's ideas? Excellence in the Performing Arts has long been associated with 'active' listening, and a taste of this world can open us up to new possibilities and arenas - allowing us to exploit not only our own resources, but those of others.

This experiential one-day workshop has as its centrepiece the rehearsal and performance of a show of music and readings, with the Duo providing the music and participants performing the readings. Workshop members thus explore the pursuit of excellence in listening, coaching and performing in a different sphere of endeavour, and then reassess their own world in the light of insights gained. People find that participating in an activity completely different from their normal one is insightful, freeing, and fun.

Benefits to you and your organisation
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• increase their accessibility to staff and colleagues
• formulate the questions that need to be asked to improve performance in an individual or group
• improve the alignment of a department or team
• sharpen awareness of their own resources and those of others
• review the organisation's problems and assets in a new light

Who should participate

• any manger or team leader (no special performance skills are required)
• anyone who is curious as to what the Performing Arts has to offer organisations
• the workshop can be particularly powerful if attended by a whole department, section or team

Key topics

• setting the scene - exercise on why we listen, and the perils of not listening; aspects of listening observed during the exercise.
• the rehearsal process - authentic communication; communication and its management (demonstrations); rehearsing in pairs developing the readings.
• the performance - handling stress; seizing the moment; the performance; feedback on the experience.
• back to work - the importance of mistakes; enabling/inhibiting two-way communication; personal commitments.

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