The Business of Jazz: The Role of Improvisation in Fueling Creative Innovation

by David N. Rasmussen

It seems that something in the competitive landscape has changed radically, requiring new ways of thinking, new practices of managing, and new organizational forms -- and that somehow this change points us in the direction of art. In this issue of Cutter IT Journal, we'll explore the intriguing, and surprisingly fruitful, relationship between art and innovation.

Is your company an innovation-quashing "prison of pure productivity"? If so, you'll learn how to strike a healthier balance between efficiency and creativity. You'll also discover how to identify and leverage "a simple, readily available means of continuous, effective innovation" in your organization -- namely, "positive deviants"! And you'll find out how embracing the dualities of jazz (structure versus improvisation, a tolerance of mistakes versus prodigious technical skill) can fuel creative innovation in your firm. As the Bard famously said, "All the world's a stage." This month, become a player!