The founder and president of Seifter Associates, Harvey Seifter brings a strong background in arts-based learning to his work in the education and corporate worlds. Head of the company since 1995, Harvey Seifter has advised some of America’s largest companies on using creative and arts-based approaches to innovate, communicate, and work together. He discusses this in a report titled, “Closing the Innovation Gap: How the Arts are Becoming the New Competitive Advantage.”
Today, manufacturers are hiring poets to inspire their employees to express themselves more in their work, law firms are hiring theater artists to improve their presentation skills, and financial executives are studying musical groups to improve their innovative performance. In the United States alone, more than 350 Fortune 500 companies are turning to art-based learning through lectures in leadership conferences, training workshops, and employee coaching programs. This new trend of arts-based learning is reshaping the business environment as we know it, and it is well overdue.
In the 2006 survey Are They Really Ready to Work?, a poll of 400 U.S. executives, more than 90 percent agreed the most important abilities at the workplace are creative thinking, effective communication, and collaborative working. However, more than 80 percent revealed these skills were lacking in new college graduates, owing to a lack of emphasis of these skills in college curricula.
Because of this, many business executives are turning to art to bridge the gap between the technical skills their employees have and the creative skills they need. Through this process, they have discovered that creative employees are more adept at handling volatile business environments, are more welcoming of disruptive technologies, are more comfortable experimenting with new business techniques, and are generally more innovative and visionary.
Today, manufacturers are hiring poets to inspire their employees to express themselves more in their work, law firms are hiring theater artists to improve their presentation skills, and financial executives are studying musical groups to improve their innovative performance. In the United States alone, more than 350 Fortune 500 companies are turning to art-based learning through lectures in leadership conferences, training workshops, and employee coaching programs. This new trend of arts-based learning is reshaping the business environment as we know it, and it is well overdue.
In the 2006 survey Are They Really Ready to Work?, a poll of 400 U.S. executives, more than 90 percent agreed the most important abilities at the workplace are creative thinking, effective communication, and collaborative working. However, more than 80 percent revealed these skills were lacking in new college graduates, owing to a lack of emphasis of these skills in college curricula.
Because of this, many business executives are turning to art to bridge the gap between the technical skills their employees have and the creative skills they need. Through this process, they have discovered that creative employees are more adept at handling volatile business environments, are more welcoming of disruptive technologies, are more comfortable experimenting with new business techniques, and are generally more innovative and visionary.
