The Jazz Process: Collaboration, Innovation, and Agility

Coda

The idea of applying jazz performance principles to other domains is occasionally met with skepticism. Those who discount it are often quick to read too much into the idea. Jazz musicians don’t make much money, so how can jazz be a good model for business? That, of course, is an overly literal interpretation of the analogy and an unfortunate dismissal of a potential learning opportunity.

I am not the first to suggest that jazz has more to offer than a listening experience, nor am I the first to have shared the idea in detail. When other people have riffed on the premise that jazz might be a source of inspiration for business teams, they have tended to focus on the more noble qualities of jazz. Jazz is democratic. Jazz is genuine. Jazz ...