New York, NY entrepreneur Harvey Seifter has worked with clients over the decades in bringing cross-cultural communication, teamwork, and innovation to corporate operations. Since 2010, Harvey Seifter has also led the Art of Science Learning (AoSL) project and focused on strategies for incorporating learning techniques from the visual and performing arts into fostering STEM skills and entrepreneurship.
Reflecting his background as a classically trained musician and former executive director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Seifter explored connections between the management of knowledge workers and a complex musical ensemble in “The Conductor-less Orchestra.” (Leader to Leader, No. 21, Summer 2001).
The concept of a loose and flexible organization is embodied in Orpheus, which has 27 permanent members who can’t be fired and diverges from the traditional concept of an orchestra in which the conductor determines not only what is played, but how it is played. Orpheus’ collaborative leadership model invites all orchestra members to participate in “leadership” roles, with this free flowing structure encouraging members to invest fully in performances and give their very best. Rather than taking a subordinate role, in which conductor expectations are met, members are emotionally involved in creating the most expressive music possible.
This group provides a template for empowering corporate employees such that they are motivated to think outside the box and come up with better services and products. Individuals take personal responsibility for innovation and quality, rather than delegating ultimate success or failure to the group leader.
Within the Orpheus context, musicians actively listen to one another and take a personal interest in the sound that emerges, providing opinions and feedback that would represent an “unthinkable” crossing of organizational lines in the traditional orchestra. Similarly, in the “conductor-less” workplace, a shared responsibility for output breaks down silos and creates a synergistic focus on maximizing quality and productivity.
Reflecting his background as a classically trained musician and former executive director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Seifter explored connections between the management of knowledge workers and a complex musical ensemble in “The Conductor-less Orchestra.” (Leader to Leader, No. 21, Summer 2001).
The concept of a loose and flexible organization is embodied in Orpheus, which has 27 permanent members who can’t be fired and diverges from the traditional concept of an orchestra in which the conductor determines not only what is played, but how it is played. Orpheus’ collaborative leadership model invites all orchestra members to participate in “leadership” roles, with this free flowing structure encouraging members to invest fully in performances and give their very best. Rather than taking a subordinate role, in which conductor expectations are met, members are emotionally involved in creating the most expressive music possible.
This group provides a template for empowering corporate employees such that they are motivated to think outside the box and come up with better services and products. Individuals take personal responsibility for innovation and quality, rather than delegating ultimate success or failure to the group leader.
Within the Orpheus context, musicians actively listen to one another and take a personal interest in the sound that emerges, providing opinions and feedback that would represent an “unthinkable” crossing of organizational lines in the traditional orchestra. Similarly, in the “conductor-less” workplace, a shared responsibility for output breaks down silos and creates a synergistic focus on maximizing quality and productivity.