Put Swing into Your Project for Success
January 15th, 2007 by HalProject success often depends on the ability of the team to respond to what comes their way. Improvisation is the key skill. USA Today ran an interview today with Wynton Marsalis, Hot Corporations Know How to Swing. Harvard's Kennedy School of Government named Marsalis one of America's Best Leaders in 2006.
The interview is full of great insights on leadership and management. Marsalis defined the essence of swing,
"It's the feeling that our way is more important than my way. It is the core that makes us all want to work together."
Embrace opposites. They are, in fact, the same.Marsalis goes on to say,
"The perception of jazz is that we all get along. In actuality, we're always trying to get along, and it is the integrity of that process that determines the quality of the swing. A business that swings will definitely be successful."
Wynton Marsalis offers these five tips for putting swing into your organization:
- Everything in jazz and business starts with integrity. Listen to others. Respect them. Build trust.
- Groups who work together "swing." They believe "we" is more important than "me," and by doing so, absorb mistakes.
- You can be creative inside or outside of tradition. Inside, you reinvigorate. Outside, you counter-state.
- Creative people dare to be laughed at. They don't act like what they are. They be what they are.
- Embrace opposites. They are, in fact, the same.
Music in groups — bands, orchestras, choirs — as metaphor for leading and managing is more than just metaphor. Three years ago I wrote about jazz and improvisation in Music as Metaphor for Project Management — and all that Jazz!. Have a conversation with your team mates on what the project might be like conducted in the style of jazz.
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January 16th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Thanks for sharing this idea on how to think about getting our teams swinging together. It is a nice metaphor. I also enjoyed reading the earlier article about how project management is like jazz.