The Model
“One of the paradoxes of improvisation is that it’s a mixture of two opposites—tremendous discipline and regimen balanced by spontaneity, listening, and playing in the moment.”
Gary Burton, vibraphone player
“Just granting power, without some method of replacing the discipline and order that come out of command-and-control bureaucracy, produces chaos. We have to learn how to disperse power so self-discipline can largely impose discipline.”
William O’Brien, “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook”
“Organizations continue to exist only if they maintain a balance between flexibility and stability, but this is difficult to do.”
Karl Weick, “The Social Psychology of Organizing
The improvisational jazz performance serves as the experiential ground for the program and the basis for an exploration of the conditions needed for collective improvisation. The insights generated here address the critical issue of transforming command-and-control discipline into self-discipline.
The question, for both jazz ensembles and organizations is: How are we to achieve the crucial balance between flexibility and stability so essential for disciplined change?
| Elements | Jazz Ensemble | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Performance How will people work together? |
Dynamics of the musical conversation | Managing interdependencies among organizational members |
| Structure What are the rules-of-play? |
Harmonic, melodic and rhythmic framework | Organization design and systems of governance |
| Personnel Do we have the right people on the bus? |
Musicianship, personal competence and compatibility of artistic sensibility | Selection, socialization and development |
| Culture Have we created an environment for risk-taking and innovation? |
Musical values, personalities and styles of leadership | Guiding management principles and formal and informal reward systems |
| Concept What are we trying to do? |
Musical vision/purpose and audience expectations | Purpose of the enterprise and stakeholder expectations |
