Musical Hum of Business 1 “All that Jazz! ” The Musical Hum of Business

This document connects music and business. Specifically, improvisation within a jazz band is described in great detail and then applied to business situations to show how it can be used as a tool within organizations to manage the unpredictability of the global macroenvironment. A comprehensive list of organizational and individual requirements is given to show employees which general personal and team-based attributes, entrepreneurial characteristics, and learning and process skills they need to develop and/or strengthen in order to contribute most effectively to individual or team-based improvisation in the workplace. The role that procedural and declarative memory play in the improvisation process is also discussed. Risks as well as rewards of improvisation are outlined to give employees a realistic perspective on improvisation so that they can decide for themselves when would be the best time to employ it in their organization. The best organizational structures for improvisation are explored. An analysis of the similarities between improvisation and strategy implementation will make clear how organizations can implement their corporate strategies by improvising. Next, a case study of Ford Motor Company at the end of this document demonstrates how the company has modeled and set the stage for improvisation in the workplace, via its phenomenal Leadership and Corporate Citizenship Council. Finally, a personal dimension based upon my own experiences with jazz piano lessons and improvisation practice is integrated throughout the document to add an experiential aspect to the paper