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Exactly. I see it this way: Freeform jazz performers and poets can break all sorts of rules, because they know what the rules are so well that they know which r

Exactly. I see it this way: Freeform jazz performers and poets can break all sorts of rules, because they know what the rules are so well that they know which rules make sense, which ones they can bend and which they can outright break. I would never advocate handing the keys of this philosophy to a young scrappy kid at his first job out of college. More like the seasoned veteran who's seen all sides and knows what it takes to make something (Disclaimer: I am neither of these).

afterburner 13y ago
I'm not so sure age is any indicator of principled action. Older employees have been worn down and want to get somewhere, young people can have more conviction in their principles because they have less to lose and more enthusiasm. And the opposite can happen too of course; young people can be easily misdirected, and older employees can have the learned cynicism and experience to see history repeating itself.
zecho 13y ago
As a veteran at my company, I've let scrappy kids take the keys. It's always about them understanding the general direction we're going. I trust their judgement and their fearlessness to ask questions of those of us who've been around much longer. Which actually fits into the jazz analogy. Jazz players work together in the same direction, there are rules within the rule breaking, even if they're unspoken.
ryanac 13y ago
There's actually a TED talk with a group of freeform jazz performers explaining something similar to this called "There are no mistakes on the bandstand": http://www.ted.com/talks/stefon_harris_there_are_no_mistakes_on_the_bandstand.html http://www.ted.com/talks/stefon_harris_there_are_no_mistakes... Shows how even when you do something against the rules / on your own, you still need to remember you're part of a bigger unit. I agree that people should know when to and how much they can break the rules and it takes experience to know that. But, I feel like you have to make mistakes to get that experience, and that there should be some room for experimentation and failure for those willing to take these risks.

afterburner 13y ago

I'm not so sure age is any indicator of principled action. Older employees have been worn down and want to get somewhere, young people can have more conviction in their principles because they have less to lose and more enthusiasm. And the opposite can happen too of course; young people can be easily misdirected, and older employees can have the learned cynicism and experience to see history repeating itself.

zecho 13y ago

As a veteran at my company, I've let scrappy kids take the keys. It's always about them understanding the general direction we're going. I trust their judgement and their fearlessness to ask questions of those of us who've been around much longer. Which actually fits into the jazz analogy. Jazz players work together in the same direction, there are rules within the rule breaking, even if they're unspoken.

ryanac 13y ago

There's actually a TED talk with a group of freeform jazz performers explaining something similar to this called "There are no mistakes on the bandstand": http://www.ted.com/talks/stefon_harris_there_are_no_mistakes_on_the_bandstand.html http://www.ted.com/talks/stefon_harris_there_are_no_mistakes... Shows how even when you do something against the rules / on your own, you still need to remember you're part of a bigger unit. I agree that people should know when to and how much they can break the rules and it takes experience to know that. But, I feel like you have to make mistakes to get that experience, and that there should be some room for experimentation and failure for those willing to take these risks.