I've been working my "day job" in the software industry and sustaining a "side job" as a working musician (I play the drums). In my experience, there is a clear link from the musical paradigm to the business paradigm through musical attributes like preparation, timing, situational awareness, and collaboration.
One of my favorite drummers is Bill Bruford, who started in the jazz idiom and crossed over to rock as the drummer for Yes, then for King Crimson. Interestingly, he has since circled back to jazz and improvisation at age 75 (!) I consider him to be both a creator and an innovator. Full interview here.
In a recent interview with his drum tech (to celebrate Tama drums' 50th anniversary), Bruford’s comments on contribution and collaboration are late in the session, after biographical, drum kit details, and performance conversations. In a short sequence about what he advises young musicians to do when they're starting out, his remarks from a musician/performer perspective can also serve as critical advice to a healthy business career, and to life in general:
"...try to contribute something. What have you got? What can you bring to the table? What can you give instead of what can you take?
…I'm a big advocate of collective, collaborative creativity...where you're working with somebody else...don't judge...just start working with them, and eventually things go really well."
In business, we hear about using "creativity" and “innovation” in our work life.
The irony is that we don't often know exactly what creativity and innovation are, much less how to use them.
First, the difference between "creativity" and "innovation" - the two terms are often used interchangeably and together. It's important to understand their meanings in a business context.
Google has this to say about the difference between creativity and innovation:
“Creativity is related to 'imagination', but innovation is related to 'implementation'. The primary difference between creativity and innovation is that the former refers to conceiving a fresh idea or plan, whereas the latter implies initiating something new to the market, which is not introduced earlier.”
I like the definition offered by Rick Rubin, the legendary music producer:
"To create is to bring something into existence that wasn't there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam."
In the (software) business world, it's productive to think of creativity and innovation as ways to solve a problem. Here are some typical examples:
Creativity:
Tangible business outcomes: Trademarks and patents, new job role, product documentation (think of a creating a book), new product that didn't exist before.
Innovation:
Tangible business outcomes: Disparate products working together to deliver a solution, efficiencies. Using existing software in ways it might not have been designed for.
Contributing
Bruford talks about “contribution” in a musical setting, and it’s equally important to consider that action in a business setting. In my experience, it’s a lot easier to contribute something in a musical setting than in a business environment because you know what you are contributing when you put something together with like-minded musicians, or you are auditioning for a group or project.
In business it’s a bit trickier: Often, the action to contribute is known as “adding value” and it is often hard for a creator to articulate the idea succinctly and objectively.
Here is a very subjective list of things I’ve encountered in my creative journey in business:
Tips for creative contributors
Make sure you can define the idea and its benefits objectively. Business is about quantifying monetary return, or other tangible benefits such as finding a great employee or gaining visibility in the marketplace.
Be prepared for rejection and dead ends. Musicians and other artists are very familiar with rejection and how to deal with it. In a business context, “dead ends” means that people you reach out to might not reply, or you are simply talking to the wrong person. Keep your creative contribution moving and don’t lose your focus.
Be prepared to wait. The time scale in a global business is much different than it is in a start-up or small company. Creative or innovative ideas can take longer to come to fruition.
Be prepared for others to hijack your idea. Be sure you can stand up for your idea and be its champion!
And don’t be afraid to create/contribute more!