These are the slides for the class I taught for Bob Korth's Bus 303 class at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.

1. SMARTer Teamwork:
Collaborating
Like Jazz Musicians
Bus 303 Class – Simon Fraser University
March 12, 2013
Brian Fraser
Lead Provocateur, Jazzthink

2. Business Success - A Case
St. Andrew’s Hall
UBC
From $130,000 in annual
revenues in 1985,
to $1.6 million in 2001,
then to $2.6 in 2012.

3. Wired for Community
Humans are wired for
community.
Mutual support and
compassion are
essential to the
flourishing of the
species.
www.ccare.stanford.ed
u

4. The Core Skill in Business - Teamwork
You build productive teams through
CONVERSATIONS

5. The Essence of Great Jazz
Jazz, at its best, is a situation
in which participants willingly
support each other, working
together as one, each
musician bringing:
• virtuosity
• optimism
• mutual respect
• good will
• the desire to make it feel
good.
Monty Alexander

6. What’s the Connection?
The most common
form of jazz in human
experience is
conversation

7. Therefore …
You are all
jazz
musicians!

8. What if …
… you paid as much
attention to the sound
and impact of your
conversations as jazz
musicians pay to the
sound and impact of
their instruments?

9. The Likely Results
What qualities of
great teamwork
do you see in the
performance of
the jazz group?

10. Frequently Noted Qualities

11. SMARTer Conversations
Soulful - being
encouraging with yourself
Mindful being
engaging with others
Astute - being
wise and decisive
Responsible being
supportive and accountable
Trusting – being
meticulous about results

12. Soulful Conversations
Attitudes
Self–valuing, self-awareness, and
self-development
Behaviours
Self-care, self-discipline, and
self-appreciation
Consequences
Being encouraging Greater self-confidence
with yourself Improved personal growth in
capabilities and maturity
More positive influence and impact

13. Mindful Conversations
Attitudes
Curiosity, respect, and humility
Behaviours
Converse, listen, and appreciate
Consequences
Sustained credibility with colleagues
Increased willingness to support in
adpative and innovative ways
Being engaging
with others More clearly aligned and productive
collaboration

14. Astute Conversations
Attitudes
Open, collegial, and analytical
Behaviours
Discover, diagnose, and decide
Consequences
Greater capacity to make crucial
decisions
Broader and deeper ownership of
strategies chosen
Being wise
Better alignment of all the
and decisive
organizations assets to
achieve its purpose

15. Responsible Conversations
Attitudes
Supportive, passionate, and forgiving
Behaviours
Connect, encourage, and serve
Consequences
Faster achievement of desired
results
Greater attraction and retention of
Being supportive the most talented contributors
and accountable Better reputation within the larger
organization

16. Trusting Conversations
Attitudes
Courage, optimism, and confidence
Behaviours
Assess, Inform, and Coach
Consequences
More deeply satisfying collaboration
More powerful benefits for larger
organization
Being meticulous
about results Greater contribution to the well-being
of the larger community

17. Conversation as Music
More than words,
conversation is
music: Its harmony,
rhythm, and flow
transcend
communication,
flexing mind and
heart, tuning us for
companionship.
Catherine Blyth

18. Jazz in the Workplace
“[Jazz] is an endless road of
discovery leading to more
maturity and acceptance of
personal responsibility, a greater
respect for cultures around the
world, an invigorating
playfulness, an excitement
about change, and an appetite
for the unpredictable.”
Wynton Marsalis

19. Voice, Vibe & Value
Your voice
generates a vibe
that creates value.
Use it
SMARTly.

20. Support for SMARTer Teamwork
There are lots more ideas
and resources at
www.jazzthink.com