June, 21 2005

Gary Muszynski
One World Music
671 Fairview Street
Oakland, CA 94609

To whom it may concern:

I first experienced One World Music in 1998, as an executive at Eastman Kodak.  Seven years later, the experience still resonated.  So, in my current position at Bank of America Transaction Services, when I saw the opportunity to support our group’s reinvention with an unforgettable learning experience, I called One World Music.

In January 2005 we assembled 100 of our top leaders and hired One World Music to model the transformation we envisioned — one that set a clear context, required us to work synergistically, and catalyzed the collective passion and intelligence of the group.  We wanted a breakthrough learning opportunity that was fun and engaging but also left participants with shared concepts, language, insights, and commitments — key to instilling the confidence and momentum required to lead change.

One World Music did an impressive amount of pre-conference research as a part of their needs assessment. They arrived several days before the conference to hear keynotes and get to know our group. This preparation paid off in an amazing degree of customization. One World Music understood our culture and language and was adept at relating the experience of becoming a world-class ensemble (in an impossibly short time) to the challenges we face in transforming our organization.

The results: Synergy through Samba was the highlight of our three-day meeting.  By integrating key messages from other conference keynotes, One World Music reinforced the overall theme of transformation, created continuity for the conference, and enabled leaders from disparate locations to feel, sound, and act like a cohesive, unified ensemble.  Since the conference, I have heard nothing but glowing remarks about a “peak experience” that was unique, professional, well-crafted, and powerful.  We now use “Samba Heaven” as our metaphor for rising to the challenges of transforming how we do business.