I didn’t start out in IT. I spent four years in VCU’s amazing Jazz Studies program playing the double bass before being lured into legal 18(!) years ago.
Many of the concepts I learned while studying jazz have translated well into legal IT and can be applied to the information security challenges that many of us face.
Know the music
“Jazz is not just 'Well, man, this is what I feel like playing.' It's a very structured thing that comes down from a tradition and requires a lot of thought and study.”
― Wynton Marsalis
Whether it is “Take The A Train” or ISO 2700x, the use of a standard helps to provide a shared structure to work within. This structure (chords, melody, lyrics, rhythm) provides the performers with the ground rules and a starting point to build something new and useful. It also gives audience a frame of reference and the safety net of familiarity.
How well do you know the standards that work well for your bandmates / coworkers / leadership? Do you know what they’re trying to achieve?
Without a the right structures and goals in mind, it is easy to set off in the wrong direction or choose the wrong tempo. This, if done often enough, can get you kicked out of the band (AKA “made available to industry”).
Understand your audience
"The audience should feel they are hearing the future, that is arriving just on time.”
— Kurt Elling
You’ll likely go over like a lead balloon if you force Ornate Coleman onto the virgin ears of Moose Lodge #735. The same is true if you try to apply the exact same security rigor to your technology startup clients that you use for your large multinational financial clients.
As a performer, you have to be aware of the audience. They are an important part of the show and likely are the ones who put a roof over your head. You need to taylor your approach based in part on what the audience is able to take in now, how “risk averse” they may be, and the environment they live in. Remember that their world is constantly changing and their needs will change with it.
Spend the effort to learn your audience. It’ll pay dividends.
Build your craft
“If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it. And if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it.”
— Louis Armstrong
As a performer, you need to constantly grow and learn. The audience gets more sophisticated over time and so do your bandmates. If you get comfortable in the “now” and stop moving, you won’t be ready for the “next”. A good ensemble is always pushing each other towards better performance. You owe it to the others to constantly improve the value you bring to the group.
Learn how to listen
“The most important thing I look for in a musician is whether he knows how to listen.”
— Duke Ellington
In ensemble work at school, I quickly learned that as soon as you stop listening to the other performers you lose the ability to have a shared direction. Some of the best ideas come from building on the work of others through collaborative effort.
When a bandmate solos, you can’t disconnect and only think of your next move (how often have we experienced this in meetings?). You have to really listen to what they are trying to say so that you can be a part of the conversation. If you’re not engaged in the conversation, you can’t move it forward towards shared meaning. When a group is really listening to each other, it resonates with the audience and keeps them coming back for more.
Be creative
“Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.”
— Charles Mingus
At the end of the day, we only retain our seat in the band if we genuinely collaborate with the other performers so that the group provides what the audience needs. This work is rooted in standards but also in solid craft, active listening, and significant creativity. Without all those components, it can’t adjust to the changing needs of the all those involved.
Understand the goals of your firm and the problems your clients are trying to solve. Agree on appropriate standards and consistently apply them in the development of the products and services your firm & clients need. Actively listen to your peers, your leadership, and your clients so that you have solid feedback loops in place. Continue to build your craft and strengthen your creative muscle so that you can call on them when needed, because the rate of change is getting faster every day.
“It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.”
— Miles Davis