MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Business leaders need to apply the same level of focus and discipline in their planning. As musicians use timing to enhance their art, business leaders can use timing strategically to innovate, whether it’s launching a product or pivoting during market disruptions. When to strike – and when not to One of the big takeaways for business leaders from the study is that an interdisciplinary approach can be very helpful. Looking outside traditional business domains, the value of mastering timing is made evident in the world of music. What may look like a spontaneous jamming session of musicians, creating magical sounds that inspire joy in others, is the result of years of training and practice, as well as focusing on one’s craft and individual expertise. One study participant commented: “Self-reflection is a very important part of knowing when to strike and when not to in life”. There is precision and co‑ordination in musical timing, even if it feels fluid and improvised. In essence, good timing in music, which creates an engaging feeling or vibe, depends on placing notes in the right spaces. This demonstrates how it mirrors everyday situations, where being in the right place at the right time is crucial. For business leaders, consider the following pointers: • Enhance situational awareness: regularly analyse market conditions, industry trends and internal company dynamics to identify opportune moments for action • Cultivate patience: learn to distinguish between urgency and importance, avoiding rushed decisions when waiting might yield better results • Practise scenario planning: develop the ability to anticipate various future scenarios and prepare flexible response strategies • Refine decision-making processes: implement structured approaches to systematically evaluate timing considerations in strategic decisions • Seek diverse perspectives: regularly consult with team members, mentors and industry experts to gain varied insights on timing-related decisions • Develop metacognition: reflect on past timing decisions, both successful and unsuccessful, to improve future judgment As New York Yankees baseball star Yogi Berra once said, “You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you’ve got the timing, it’ll go.” The final takeaway for entrepreneurs and business leaders is this: they need to get their timing right.
“As musicians use timing to enhance their art, business leaders can use timing strategically to innovate”
Planning properly and understanding the nature of the business in relation to markets and the needs of consumers creates conditions in which opportunities flourish. In business, like in the music world, leaders must be attuned to changes in trends and technology and adapt to them. By absorbing as much as possible about consumer habits and trends, plus doing the right kind of testing and data research, leaders can access information, discard that which isn’t useful and judge the right moment to act. In the case of music, any misstep during a performance, or failure to play the right notes at the right time, tangibly impacts the quality of the rendition. This is why musicians spend hours fine‑tuning the conscious mechanical and physical skills required to execute to perfection. They must also develop the unconscious perceptual abilities that are present in elite musicians – encompassing a sense of pitch and dynamic range when it comes to the emotion stirred by a chord progression.
Ray Haeng Soo Seol is an assistant professor of professional music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate in education from Northeastern University Barry van Zyl is the programme lead for the global executive MBA at Henley Business School Africa and a former international drummer The research report discussed here is part of a larger initiative called the Theory of Groove, a three-way collaboration between van Zyl, Seol and Toki Wright, chair of the professional music department at Berklee College of Music
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Business Impact • ISSUE 2 • 2025
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