Erroyl D. RolleAssociate Professor

Business & Information TechnologySullivan County Community College

State University of New York

Erroyl D. RolleAssociate Professor

Business & Information TechnologySullivan County Community College

State University of New York

The Jazz EnsembleA model for social creativity in the

workplace

The Jazz EnsembleA model for social creativity in the

workplace

The Jazz EnsembleA Catalyst for Improvisation & Social

Creativity

The Jazz EnsembleA Catalyst for Improvisation & Social

Creativity

Small Jazz Small Jazz EnsembleEnsemble

Large Jazz Large Jazz Ensemble Ensemble Designed to navigate through an environment of Designed to navigate through an environment of

minimal structures while liberating its performers minimal structures while liberating its performers to improvise using creative chaos to achieve new to improvise using creative chaos to achieve new

discoveries discoveries

Individual CreativityIndividual Creativity

Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is created.

Traditionally, western philosophy has associated “Creativity”with individual contribution.

However, some creative However, some creative individuals individuals needneed feedback. feedback.

Social CreativitySocial Creativity......most scientific and artistic innovations emerge from

joint thinking, passionate conversations, and shared struggles among different people, emphasizing the importance of the social

dimension of creativity (Bennis & Biederman, 1997; John-Steiner, 2000)

Social Creativity offers a Distinct Creative AdvantageSocial Creativity offers a Distinct Creative Advantage

Today’s Workplace Landscape

Today’s Workplace Landscape

•High Velocity World - Infused with Technology

•Filled with Uncertainty & Unexpected Change

•Dynamic Competitive Environment

•Challenges: Often Have Incomplete Information

•High Velocity World - Infused with Technology

•Filled with Uncertainty & Unexpected Change

•Dynamic Competitive Environment

•Challenges: Often Have Incomplete Information

Traditional Solution PathTraditional Solution Path

•Plan

•Control

•Plan Again

•More Control

• Initiate Systems & Routines to Insure Control

•Plan

•Control

•Plan Again

•More Control

• Initiate Systems & Routines to Insure Control

Let’s ExploreLet’s ExploreSome Common BarriersSome Common Barriers

to Social Creativity in the Workplaceto Social Creativity in the Workplace

Jazz Ensemble SolutionsJazz Ensemble Solutionsfor Social Creativity in the Workplacefor Social Creativity in the Workplace

Barrier #1 - Build Routines

Barrier #1 - Build Routines

•Avoid Risks - “The Big Goof Can Go Viral”

•Safeguard Products & Services - Instant Replication

•Will Defend Against Ferocious Competition - Surprises

•Solidify Market Shares/Margins/Customers - Evaporate

•Avoid Risks - “The Big Goof Can Go Viral”

•Safeguard Products & Services - Instant Replication

•Will Defend Against Ferocious Competition - Surprises

•Solidify Market Shares/Margins/Customers - Evaporate

Jazz Solution: Abandon Routines

Jazz Solution: Abandon Routines

Abandon RoutinesAbandon Routines

•`Step Outside of Routine Comfort Zones

•Abandon Habitual Thinking > Creative Growth

•Shift: Predetermined Solutions > Spontaneity

•Recognize Emerging Coherence Amid Flux

•Elevate Performance > Move Beyond Expected

•`Step Outside of Routine Comfort Zones

•Abandon Habitual Thinking > Creative Growth

•Shift: Predetermined Solutions > Spontaneity

•Recognize Emerging Coherence Amid Flux

•Elevate Performance > Move Beyond Expected

Barrier #2 - Resist Change

Barrier #2 - Resist Change

•Managers are Genuinely Resistant/(Slow) to Change

•Managers Guard Against Disruptions & Mishaps

•Avoid Stress - Adapt Tunnel Vision / Circle Wagons

•The Housecleaning Habit is Hard to Break

•Traditional Organizations Feature Static Principles

•Managers are Genuinely Resistant/(Slow) to Change

•Managers Guard Against Disruptions & Mishaps

•Avoid Stress - Adapt Tunnel Vision / Circle Wagons

•The Housecleaning Habit is Hard to Break

•Traditional Organizations Feature Static Principles

Jazz Solution: Develop Explorative

Competence

Jazz Solution: Develop Explorative

Competence

Explorative Competence Explorative Competence

•Welcomes Experimentation - Learn by Doing

•Embraces a Democratic Shared Reliance

•Belief in the Potential of Innovative Moments

•Ability to Re-direct, Reinterpret, Defy Expected

• Rely on One Another to Adjust & Amend Paths

•Welcomes Experimentation - Learn by Doing

•Embraces a Democratic Shared Reliance

•Belief in the Potential of Innovative Moments

•Ability to Re-direct, Reinterpret, Defy Expected

• Rely on One Another to Adjust & Amend Paths

Barrier #3 - No Mistakes Allowed

Barrier #3 - No Mistakes Allowed

•Managers Tend Not to Disclose Problems & Disappointments - Fear of Having to Defend Errors

•Mangers Create Monuments to Organizational Breakdowns - Establish Company Legends of Horror

•Pressure to Pretend Mistakes/Messes Did Not Happen

•Hierarchy Status Affects Reporting of Error Causes

•Managers Tend Not to Disclose Problems & Disappointments - Fear of Having to Defend Errors

•Mangers Create Monuments to Organizational Breakdowns - Establish Company Legends of Horror

•Pressure to Pretend Mistakes/Messes Did Not Happen

•Hierarchy Status Affects Reporting of Error Causes

Jazz Solution: Performance With Experimentation

Jazz Solution: Performance With Experimentation

““If your not playing a mistake ... It is a mistakeIf your not playing a mistake ... It is a mistake”” - - Miles DavisMiles Davis

Performance & ExperimentationPerformance &

Experimentation•Build a Culture Allowing “Constructive Failures”

•Convert Trials & Errors Learning Opportunities

•Freedom to Tinker and Infuse a “Bricolage of Ideas”

•Achieve Full Engagement via Creative Experimentation

•Dislodge Patterns to Discover Wonderment/Curiosity

•Build a Culture Allowing “Constructive Failures”

•Convert Trials & Errors Learning Opportunities

•Freedom to Tinker and Infuse a “Bricolage of Ideas”

•Achieve Full Engagement via Creative Experimentation

•Dislodge Patterns to Discover Wonderment/Curiosity

Barrier #4 - Control & Lead

Barrier #4 - Control & Lead

•Assumption: Systems Need Hierarchy to Organize and to Have Some Stable Order.

•Assumption: Individual Leaders are Most Important for Keeping Organizations On Track.

•Organizations Often Standardize Procedures to Avoid Changes, Disruptions and Ambiguities

•Assumption: Systems Need Hierarchy to Organize and to Have Some Stable Order.

•Assumption: Individual Leaders are Most Important for Keeping Organizations On Track.

•Organizations Often Standardize Procedures to Avoid Changes, Disruptions and Ambiguities

Jazz Solution: Freedom From Constraints

Jazz Solution: Freedom From Constraints

Freedom From Constraints

Freedom From Constraints

•Achieve Coherence Continual Dialogue & Exchange

•Improvisers Enter a Flow of Ongoing Invention

•Shared Awareness of Common Task & Group Progress

•Avoids “Consensus Traps” - Encourage Dissonance

•Encourages the Open-Source, Crowd Source Effect

•Achieve Coherence Continual Dialogue & Exchange

•Improvisers Enter a Flow of Ongoing Invention

•Shared Awareness of Common Task & Group Progress

•Avoids “Consensus Traps” - Encourage Dissonance

•Encourages the Open-Source, Crowd Source Effect

Barrier #5 - Learning is Bankable

Barrier #5 - Learning is Bankable

•Assumption: Executive Learning is easily Acquired, Controlled, Stored (banked) and Dispensed.

•Assumption: Employee Education is Only Achieved via Storing Knowledge in Histories, After Action Reports and Other Forms of Data Memory.

•Rote Memorization, Habitual Practice Patterns and Skill Routines are Efficient Leaning Strategies.

•Story-telling, Naive Questions, Casual Conversation and Off-hand Observations are Not Legitimate Forms of Learning.

•Assumption: Executive Learning is easily Acquired, Controlled, Stored (banked) and Dispensed.

•Assumption: Employee Education is Only Achieved via Storing Knowledge in Histories, After Action Reports and Other Forms of Data Memory.

•Rote Memorization, Habitual Practice Patterns and Skill Routines are Efficient Leaning Strategies.

•Story-telling, Naive Questions, Casual Conversation and Off-hand Observations are Not Legitimate Forms of Learning.

Jazz Solution: Collectively Share & Learn

Jazz Solution: Collectively Share & Learn

Collectively Share & Learn

Collectively Share & Learn

•Fraternity - Serious Playfulness & Safety

•Social Experience Cultivates Learning/Wisdom

•Scaffolding - Supporting through to Competence

•Sharing the Engaged Absorbed Activity

•Encourages Mentor/Apprentice “Diversity of Thought”

•Higher Knowledge is Personal, Rooted in Action and not easily Articulated or Codified. However, Collective Performance and Sharing are Transformative.

•Fraternity - Serious Playfulness & Safety

•Social Experience Cultivates Learning/Wisdom

•Scaffolding - Supporting through to Competence

•Sharing the Engaged Absorbed Activity

•Encourages Mentor/Apprentice “Diversity of Thought”

•Higher Knowledge is Personal, Rooted in Action and not easily Articulated or Codified. However, Collective Performance and Sharing are Transformative.

Some Additional Jazz Ensemble Insights

Some Additional Jazz Ensemble Insights

Jazz Solution:Embrace Being a Follower

Jazz Solution:Embrace Being a Follower

Embrace Being a FollowerEmbrace Being a Follower

•Spark Social Listening & Vivify Unselfish Openness

•Collective Dialogues Generating Diverse Inputs

•Suspension of Ego to Make Others Brilliant

•Surrender Pre-Planned, Controlling Efforts

•Mobilize Others Insights / Provoke Emerging Ideas

•Ensures Participation/Inclusion/Shared Ownership

•Spark Social Listening & Vivify Unselfish Openness

•Collective Dialogues Generating Diverse Inputs

•Suspension of Ego to Make Others Brilliant

•Surrender Pre-Planned, Controlling Efforts

•Mobilize Others Insights / Provoke Emerging Ideas

•Ensures Participation/Inclusion/Shared Ownership

Jazz Solution: Orchestrate Potential Winners

Jazz Solution: Orchestrate Potential Winners

Duke Ellington Duke Ellington created created musical musical

arrangements arrangements that that

highlighted highlighted his Soloist his Soloist

Orchestrate Potential Winners

Orchestrate Potential Winners

•Creating Situations that Demand Action

•Design Conditions That Accelerate Creativity

•Affirm the Best in Your Workers

•Hit the Groove - Foster a “ Balanced Flow of Ideas”

•Create a Culture That Exhilarates Experimentation

•Creating Situations that Demand Action

•Design Conditions That Accelerate Creativity

•Affirm the Best in Your Workers

•Hit the Groove - Foster a “ Balanced Flow of Ideas”

•Create a Culture That Exhilarates Experimentation

Social Creativity - Achieved

Social Creativity - Achieved

by developing a culture of shared ownership; that by developing a culture of shared ownership; that triggers triggers ““bottom-up accidental discoveriesbottom-up accidental discoveries”” and and

encourages encourages ““top-down guiding structurestop-down guiding structures””

Erroyl D. RolleAssociate Professor

Business & Information TechnologySullivan County Community College

State University of New York

112 College Road Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759 (845) 434-5750 - ext.4453

Erroyl D. RolleAssociate Professor

Business & Information TechnologySullivan County Community College

State University of New York

112 College Road Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759 (845) 434-5750 - ext.4453

The Jazz EnsembleA model for social creativity in the

workplace

The Jazz EnsembleA model for social creativity in the

workplace