Jazz Improv and Business Agility

Doing jazz improv in a tight little combo is one of the most satisfying and fun forms of music I know. A small group of skilled musicians creates the music together on the fly. There's an underlying chord progression that provides structure, but the musicians adapt to each other, to each moment, to the feel of the crowd. The sax player throws in a repeating riff, the rhythm section picks it up, and they play off each other to produce something fresh and new each time they play. It is very organized, but very flexible, creative and adaptable.

At one gig, a heating unit kept making loud bang and pop sounds, and within a minute, the band had seamlessly worked the bang and pop into the song, echoing the rhythm whenever it happened, playing off this disruption to make the song unique. The crowd loved it, and the bang and pop made for a memorable evening.

This is quite a contrast to the command and control world of concert bands and orchestras where the conductor leads the performance, and each musician is expected to execute strictly according to the written plan. Great music, but easily disrupted by one person in the audience with a cough.

If your business is steady and predictable, the rigid control of a concert band might work for you. But, if you need to adapt quickly to bangs and pops and all kinds of uncertainty, you might want a more flexible jazz improv approach. Create the chord progression, establish the structure, then let your skilled musicians play.