Because those masks say the same thing as he was in that moment: This is happening. And you are dealing with it. But you get to choose how you deal with it.

You can freak out and worry. Or you can embrace the chaos – and maybe even laugh your way through it.

The same is true of change.

With this team, we worked on all the things that help teams handle change better:

• How to build real connection so people feel safe speaking up. 
• How to use storytelling to inspire instead of just inform. 
• How to collaborate in a way that builds ideas instead of shutting them down. 
• And how humor plays a role in all this.

I’m not talking about the “make people laugh in a keynote” kind of humor. (Though, to be fair, my keynote did make those beverage professionals laugh) I mean the everyday kind that lowers the temperature in the room. The people can be honest about what they’re worried about — and bold enough to suggest how to fix it. The kind of humor that lets a team say, “Okay… this is a bit of a mess… but we’ve got this.”

One other thing struck me during those three days.

This was a global event. People flew in from all over the world. And it was fantastic to have everyone in the same room. The energy, the connection, and the conversations at live events can’t be matched.

But thinking about those “external economic concerns” I mentioned earlier… will companies keep doing events of this scale in the next year or two? Or will we see a shift back to pandemic era meetings, where plane tickets get replaced by Zoom links?

Because we all learned in the past few years, (2020? 2021? It’s all a bit blurry now.), meeting in person is powerful. It’s better.

…but if you have to meet on line, you can make it work. You can still connect, collaborate, and share stories. 

But when the audience is on a screen, the need for real connection gets bigger — as does the risk of people zoning out.

The same things we worked on in that room, clarity, story, presence and humor, matter even more online.

So yeah… “New Beginnings” is a great theme.

Just remember that sometimes new beginnings look a lot like a giant mess on the floor. And when they do, you’ve got a choice. Freak out…

Or grab a mop, have a laugh, and get to work. 

If helping your team do that – whether in the room or on screen – sounds useful, that’s exactly the kind of thing we work on with teams every day. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I suddenly have a craving for rice pudding, ideally from the floor!

Pep

Pep Rosenfeld

Pep Rosenfeld is the co-founder of Boom Chicago and the author of Work Laugh Balance: How and Why Humor Can Make You and Your Team More Successful. 

If you haven’t seen it, let an overage fan give you the premise: Three K-pop superstars in a band called Huntr/x secretly hunt demons. Their music doesn’t just entertain fans; their good vibes create a protective force field called the “Golden Honmoon” that shields our world from the demon world. Yes, that’s why the song your kids keep playing is named “Golden.”

Naturally, the demons form their own boy band to steal fans and break down the Honmoon. It’s fun and absurd, sure, but it’s also the perfect example of what Boom Chicago for Business calls positive culture. 

When Huntr/x’s culture is at its best, the demons don’t stand a chance. When that culture breaks down, they lose fans… and the Honmoon.

“It’s going up, up, up – this is your culture…”

And when you look past the demons, songs and K-pop choreography, you see the same four pillars that show up in high-performing European teams:

Collaboration
At their best, Huntr/x operates as a true team. They write together, rehearse together and support each other on stage and off. Their performances work because they are connected.

When that collaboration weakens, things start to slip. They can’t agree on lyrics. Their infighting messes up their demon fighting – which is a key part of demon hunting. The connection with the audience fades, and the Golden Honmoon begins to crack.

The lesson is simple but important. Collaboration isn’t just about being in the same room or working on the same project. It’s about actively building on each other’s ideas and efforts. And that’s hard to do without clear communication.

Clear Communication and Feedback
One of the members is hiding a secret: she’s part demon. (Cue the slow ballad verse about her shame!) Convinced her teammates will never accept her, she keeps it to herself.

That lack of honesty creates friction across the team. Communication becomes guarded and trust erodes. Small issues become bigger ones because no one says what needs to be said. Nothing about the mission has changed, but internally, the team is no longer aligned.

When she finally tells the truth, everything shifts for the better. The teammates connect through vulnerability instead of hiding it. Psychological safety returns, and with it, the Golden Honmoon. The high functioning K-pop team is back in business! 

Inspiring Storytelling
In this world, storytelling is not just part of the performance. It’s the power source. The stronger the emotional connection, the stronger the protection. It’s an exaggerated cartoon metaphor for something very real: When people believe in what they are part of, they bring more energy, focus and commitment.

Stories give meaning to effort. They’re how you win hearts, minds and hands. They align people around a shared purpose and makes the work feel like it matters, both to the team to the people they serve.

Taking Ownership
Each member of Huntr/x has a role to play in the group and in the mission. But the real shift doesn’t come from better choreography or tighter performances. It comes when they stop hiding.

At the end of the movie, the characters take ownership of who they are, including the parts they were previously ashamed of. That honesty allows them to reconnect as a team and fully recommit to their goal. In this sense, ownership goes beyond tasks or responsibilities. It’s about showing up fully and taking responsibility for your contribution to the whole.

When communication isn’t clear and open, trust disappears and collaboration fails. When collaboration weakens, performance suffers. When the story loses strength, commitment drops. When ownership is missing, people hold back.

Now, your team is probably not building a force field, fighting a demon boy band or building an army of teenage superfans. But these principles apply to any group trying to do something meaningful together. And while I can’t make you watch K-pop Demon Hunters (though you should), Boom Chicago for Business can help you build a positive culture where your team can be most effective. And don’t we all have some demons to battle?

Pep Rosenfeld

Pep Rosenfeld is the co-founder of Boom Chicago and the author of Work Laugh Balance: How and Why Humor Can Make You and Your Team More Successful. 

More than just a fun night out, everyone left the theater with
powerful takeaways about:

• The power of surprise in work and private life – and how to balance it with stability
• Strategies to deal with and reframe negative surprise
• Steps to design positive surprise to create engagement with your message, change or innovation
• Why, in organizational change, to spend time, money & energy on teams instead of on projects that set the foundation for change
• How strong leaders can set a clear direction and motivate people to take action – and why that means you must invest in strong leadership
• Sometimes you’re not the only one to get a Bingo. 😉

And then we all went to the bar for drinks, snacks and surprise gift books from Involve and Matterz. What a night!

More than just a fun night out, everyone left the theater with
powerful takeaways about:

• The power of surprise in work and private life – and how to balance it with stability
• Strategies to deal with and reframe negative surprise
• Steps to design positive surprise to create engagement with your message, change or innovation
• Why, in organizational change, to spend time, money & energy on teams instead of on projects that set the foundation for change
• How strong leaders can set a clear direction and motivate people to take action – and why that means you must invest in strong leadership
• Sometimes you’re not the only one to get a Bingo. 😉

And then we all went to the bar for drinks, snacks and surprise gift books from Involve and Matterz. What a night!