A Review of Trombone Player Wanted by Marcus Buckingham

Marcus Buckingham is best known for his work with the Gallup Organization and for his ground-breaking books, First, Break all the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. He is considered one of the world's leading authorities on strengths.

Trombone Player Wanted, a companion film series to Buckingham's newest book, Go Put Your Strengths to Work, tells the story of a ten year old trombone player. He is a competent player, but his heart is pulling him in a different direction, the direction of the drums. He finally gathers up the courage to ask his band teacher if he could be allowed to play the drums, but is told that there wasn't a need for another drummer and the band needed a trombone player. Determined to follow his heart, this young boy sets out to find his replacement by posting a sign in his school which read, "Trombone Player Wanted". Though not right away, he does find someone who has been waiting for the opportunity to play in his own strength, and the young boy's long journey ends with being able to follow his dream of playing the drums.

This story plays silently in the background while Buckingham shares the importance of recognizing your strengths, making the most of your strengths and putting your strengths to work. He encourages you to think back to your childhood to look for positive patterns of behavior that seem to have always been a part of you. He inspires you to explore your strengths; those activities that make you feel strong, excited and engaged.

As you watch the young boy play his trombone almost mechanically, with a lack of passion, Buckingham discusses how you can make the most of the strengths you've discovered. He leads you to identify the situations that allow you to best express your strengths. He guides you in discovering skills that can help you sharpen your strengths and he assigns you the task of identifying actions you can take to make the most of your strengths. He uncovers the common myths that we subscribe to that keep us from working in the areas of our passion.

While Buckingham talks about the freedom you feel in working in your strengths and how to discover your strengths, you get to watch his words in action through the story. It gives more meaning to his words and as your heart goes out to the young boy trying to reach his goal, you are encouraged to think about your own situation and the ways your journey is like this young boy's.

Not only does this film encourage you to look at yourself and find those childhood passions and dreams that you've left untapped, but it causes you to think forward to your children and how you can help them be who their strengths lead them to be. Without saying it, the film moves you to help children identify those innate abilities and patterns of behavior that make them who they are, and to help them focus and channel those behaviors into strengths.

The film series is very well done. It's great for businesses, teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to put their strengths to work.