Bacon jam.

Bacon's not supposed to be spreadable! But dive a little deeper and you realize that together, this unlikely pair is divine.

The same might be said about the workplace and jazz. How could mad riffing skills translate into your day job? Well, the talented Jim Kalbach (on bass) and Jeff Gothelf (on keyboards) have a thing or two to say on the topic. Their hands-on workshop explores how jazz performance provides a powerful model for how successful teams collaborate.

Well, this certainly struck a chord with us, so we sat down with the dynamic duo to learn more.

Q: So, jazz and work. What's the parallel?

Jim: The nature of work has changed dramatically and will continue to change. Employees are no longer hired hands on an assembly line taking orders from above. Now, qualities like creativity, passion, and team work are not only desirable but necessary for organizational success.

But we're stuck in management practices of the past. Jazz provides a model for us to follow moving forward, showing that it is possible to balance seemingly paradoxical factors like individual freedom versus collective purpose, improvisation versus structure, and certainty versus risk taking.

Q: Does one need to know how to "jazz" to be a great team member?

Jeff: One doesn't need to call it "jazz" or "improv" but to recognize these same qualities in yourself and others makes for great team collaboration. Knowing when to listen, responding respectfully, taking advantage of unpredictable events - these are the qualities of a great team member.

**Q: This all sounds like good life advice, too. Can you comment on the influence of jazz lessons in daily life?
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Jim: If there's a life lesson to be learned from jazz it's "don't do heroin." (Ain't that the truth!)

On a (slightly) more serious note I'd say it's this: if you surround yourself with good people (empathetic, listeners, supportive) and accept the fact that you can't predict the future you'll do just fine.

_We're tickled (and so are the ivories!) that both Jeff and Jim will be joining us this year.

Just a note that you don't need to know anything about jazz to participate in this workshop. A live jazz quintet will demonstrate the principles and the hands-on exercises will focus on team work.

Find more out about Jazz Performance as a Model for Team Collaboration, as a part of our new workshop series on Friday September 25th.
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