Jazz clubs are very special places. They exist to make the performance of jazz possible – ideally, great jazz that creates an unforgettable experience for both the musicians and the audience. There are four essential activities that have to be undertaken for this to happen, activities that are required in vital and engaging offices as well.
Tapping into Passion
This starts with the musicians, the talented people at the centre of the action. They tap into their passions when they find that unique mix of what they do best and what they enjoy most. When they do tap into their deep love for their instruments, for their talents, and for the music they have chosen to play, the performance will be captivating and inspiring. It will tap into the passions of the audience as well and create the connection jazz musicians call “swing” in which resonance among the players and with the audience produces a delightful experience.
Encouraging Capacity Building
A great jazz performance is built on careful listening and constant learning. Players encourage each other to play their best and then find innovative ways of playing above that. They delight in improving - for themselves, for their fellow players, and for their audiences. They are continually searching for new ways of interpreting the standards, or creating new ways of blending their voicings into new pieces of music, or finding new ways of playing their instruments together. They welcome their world of surprise and change as an opportunity to build their capacities to perform and enjoy the results.
Negotiating a Willing Collaboration
To create the music, the musicians must be playing from the same lead sheet or core chart. They must have agreed on the melody. They must be willing to contribute their talents and creativity to the collective effort to improvise around their chosen piece of music. The brilliance of the individual is expressed in the service of the group’s performance. At the same time, the group wants that individual brilliance to shine forth in all its fullness. True collaboration invokes and evokes the best in both the individual and the group.
Providing Supporting Structures, Resources, and Working Environments
Up until now, we’ve been focused on the performers and their audiences. But a lot more happens in a jazz club to enable this to happen. There are the designers and craftspeople that built the club. There is the staff that seat and serve the audiences. There are the people who run the sound and the lighting. There are the people who deliver and prepare the food and drink and who clean up after. Then there are all the structures and resources that enable these people to do their work. It’s a complex ecological system that supports the performance of the musicians and the delight of the audience. And every person in it is as important in her/his own right as the musicians. They too deserve working environments that tap into their passions, invite their collaboration, and encourage the building of their capacity.
So, how well are you tending to the comparable activities in your office? Are you tapping into the passions of your colleagues? Are you encouraging capacity building? Are you negotiating a willing collaboration? And are you providing the structures, resources, and work environments best suited to supporting the performers and delighting the customers? If you are, then you will be building the momentum to make your office a preferred place of employment.
Brian Fraser is the Lead Provocateur of Jazzthink. He is a speaker, author, and leadership coach who uses the wit and wisdom of jazz to help people see different ways of performing well. Find out more at http://www.jazzthink.com
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