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Greetings,
Welcome to the first Jazzthink newsletter! Spring is a time of beginnings, so we feel it's appropriate to start this new venture. Just think of the earth during this time - its growth, bustle, change, conflict, accommodation and adjustment to new living things. Not unlike Jazz... |
| QUOTES OF NOTE |
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 Connecting Jazz, Leadership and Organizations
I enjoy jazz, and one way to think about leadership is to consider a jazz band. Jazz-band leaders must choose the music, find the right musicians, and perform - in public. But the effect of the performance depends on so many things - the environment, the volunteers playing in the band, the need for everybody to perform as individuals and as a group, the absolute dependence of the leader on the members of the band, the need of the leader for the followers to play well. What a summary of an organization!
A jazz band is an expression of servant leadership. The leader of a jazz band has a beautiful opportunity to draw the best out of the other musicians. We have much to learn from jazz-band leaders, for jazz, like leadership, combines the unpredictability of the future with the gifts of individuals.
Max DePree, Leadership Jazz (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 8-9.
If you would like to read more quotes and thought-provokers, click here. |
| RESOURCES |
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Jazz and High-Perfoming Organizations
Jazzthink uses a lot of acronyms in its work. We find it helps people remember the important stuff. Here's one of the best we've found. SCORES represents the six elements evident in the High Performing Organizations (HPOs) that Ken Blanchard and his colleagues have worked with in the 25 years since the publication of The One Minute Manager. Blanchard describes them in his latest book, Leading at a Higher Level (2007).
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| A FUN PLACE |
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 The Best Jazz in Vancouver
Cory Weeds heads up the Jazzthink Trio and also owns the best jazz club in Vancouver - The Cellar. Downbeat magazine calls it "one of the best 100 jazz clubs in the world."
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| TESTIMONIAL |
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Connecting Jazz, Leadership and Organizations
I must say I was surprised at how quickly we were able to generate an insightful and meaningful discussion around several common workplace issues using jazz as the metaphor. It was particularly fascinating to gain the perspective and insight from the musicians themselves. This contributed a richness to the conversation that would not have been the same without them. In addition, I was struck by the breadth of the application of this metaphor. Although we started with innovation, we quickly jumped to workplace performance, recruitment and retention, and effective teamwork. Imagine what we could have done with another hour! All in all, it was a highly stimulating dialogue which would appear to have universal application.
Richard Pearson, Korn/Ferry International,
from the April Jazzthink Lunch & Learn.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Get Conflicted! Come to our next Lunch & Learn
Conflict is an inevitable and healthy part of human interaction. Jazz musicians are constantly in conflict with one another, exploring with each other their own creative ways of interpreting a tune. But good jazz relies on the conflict being constructive rather than destructive. What can you learn from the workings and wisdom of jazz about keeping conflict constructive in your workplaces? We're gathering at the Vancouver Club (915 West Hastings) on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, from 11:30am - 1:00pm for a delicious lunch, some swinging music, and great conversations about Jazzing Up Your Conflict. Click here to register. | |
 Thanks for letting me send you my newsletter! Right now the hiking trails of the North Shore (right outside my back door) are calling me. Have a great day and I hope to see you soon. Sincerely,
Brian Fraser |
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