What is a Corporate Choreographer?

Let’s first think about the role of a traditional choreographer. An artist in their own right, according to Websters, ‘they arrange or direct movements, progress or details’.  In ballet, choreographers organize and direct the many dance steps and movements with intention, arranging them in such a way that they evoke emotion and tell a story.  They are visionaries who consider everything from the initial concept to how the performance will be delivered to the audience. They spend time in broad interdisciplinary research and require excellent communication skills to ensure their directions are clear for the dancers.  They often work collaboratively with the performers, inspiring them to achieve the best results.

Choreographers know what looks good to the wider audience. As they design the performance, they give purpose to movement, considering the smallest details while never losing sight of the big picture – the final production.

Choreographers are curious, imaginative, and value variety.  They must be able to improvise because seldom does everything go to plan.  They often have responsibilities that go beyond their artistic work such as negotiating and securing funding for projects.

Are you starting to see the connection to corporate life?  I definitely do. Let me tell you why.

In my corporate roles, I have designed digital solutions, planned large events, created new processes, developed training materials, led cross-functional stakeholders, and organized complex information into meaningful communications. What do all of these projects have in common? Like any great dance routine, let’s break it down step by step.

They started with nothing more than an idea, a concept, a need.  For the best results, I must understand the goal, the reason for doing the thing. Converting these ideas into something purposeful and meaningful for stakeholders, the audience, requires ‘vision’. Throughout the past couple of decades, I have been entrusted with arranging the steps, or movements, and bringing order to the chaos and building new solutions.   And I am so grateful for that opportunity.

I have always found this type of work rewarding and closely aligned with my personality and interests because  I am a multi-passionate creator and lifelong learner. My natural artistic strengths allow me to see patterns, design flow, and create harmony with cross-functional teams and enterprise-wide processes.  I instinctively bring rhythm to frameworks and help large organizations move with more precision and grace. I see the potential in people and in processes.

With each ‘step’ in the design, it is important to understand the implications so that people do not end up ‘tripping over themselves’ or faced with blockers that keep them from the very thing we are trying to accomplish.

Collaborating, negotiating, improvising – all key skills in corporate life.  When faced with challenges like constantly shifting priorities and lack of resources, agility and flexibility help manage stress and keep the overall ‘performance’ , or objective, in sight.

I am a Corporate Choreographer. I aim to make the complex feel purposeful and possible, not chaotic. In my work, I bring structure, alignment, and artistry while guiding organizations through complexity ensuring each element of the performance is aligned, intentional, and impactful.

Why such a connection between ‘work’ and ‘art’ is important to me will be discussed in subsequent posts.  If this resonates with you, please do subscribe to my email list.