Business Learns From Art

Creativity and innovation, hallmarks of artistic expression, are essential in today’s rapidly changing business climate

Imagine these scenarios in business meetings across the country. A jazz ensemble of world-class musicians performs a blues rendition of “Prelude to a Kiss,” then asks the million-dollar question: What can jazz teach the business world about improvisation? Or the noted improvisational theater company, The Second City, encourages a work team to think of new games and then teach them to each other. The point: What can humor teach us about creating an environment where big ideas flourish?

At the upcoming MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, The Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and Creativity Connection, an Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts program, will offer a taste of arts-based learning through an interactive and fun workshop designed to get the creative juices flowing.

As founder and director of Creativity Connection, Harvey Seifter and his team are in the forefront of demonstrating to American business the need for – and success of – what Seifter calls “arts-based learning.” The one caveat: Mostly, American businesses view what they’re doing as “teambuilding” or “interactive learning” or “experiential learning.”  The challenge, says Seifter, is: “While many corporate leaders understand and appreciate the role of creativity as the ‘front end’ of innovation, relatively few have focused on the obvious relationship between arts exposure, experience and education with creativity.”

A concept that was in its infancy 10 years ago, arts-based learning represents a major shift in the way corporate America can respond to a global climate that is no longer predictable. What we need is chaos training, says Seifter, and creative people have developed the skills. “Nothing is more chaotic than the blank page or canvas,” he emphasizes. Yet, he continues, the artist problem-solves and innovates, striving for excellence, often within tight timeframes and budgets.

Seifter believes the IT revolution and three related trends are propelling a major business shift. First, an accelerated rate of change is outstripping our capacity to adapt. Second, globalization is increasing the unpredictability of communication – in his words, “whatever we put out, we can’t know where it’s going.” Third, the drive for innovation is relentless and consistent. And in light of a recent workforce study, he would add a fourth, the shortage of essential skills in a 21st-century workforce.

"Are They Really Ready to Work?” is an October 2006 study that The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management conducted with 400 U.S. companies. In the study, more than 92% of the companies indicated that critical thinking/problem solving and the ability to collaborate and to communicate effectively were in the top five of 20 essential employee skills. The companies also said that about 65% of four-year college graduates possess those skills – but only at the adequate level. Interestingly, only 13% of the companies felt knowledge of the arts and humanities was important – showing that few made the connection between art and the development of necessary business skills.

Tammy Mattson, managing principal of Towers Perrin in Philadelphia, also believes in the power of creativity. “We need to move the needle a bit to make companies aware of what they’re rewarding people for – and to build forward-thinking staffing models that get the workforce to exhibit the behaviors we need.” She emphasizes that to be competitive in the global economy, employees need to think creatively and work in teams. However, she admits, “It’s tough to convince companies with a bottom-line profit focus that they need to invest time and money for the long-term benefits that will come with a greater focus on creativity.”  Clearly, the challenges reside right next to the opportunities for arts-based learning.

Don’t miss the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum, “Powering Corporate Performance Through Arts-Based Learning,” on June 12 when the Council will present a compelling look at this thought-provoking issue. Visit www.artsandbusinessphila.org/metlife for more information and to register.