When jazz musicians improvise they are, quite literally, just playing. They are letting themselves go and feeling the music rather than thinking about it. Their rational and technical thinking is relegated to a back seat and their intuitive feelings are brought centre stage.

These musicians can do this because they have practised long and hard and they know their instruments and music so well that playing is second nature to them. They do not have to think about the complexities of making the notes or have their attention diverted by reading notes off a page. This allows their intuitions and feelings to shine forth and illuminate the music.

Over time we become very well practised in the parts we play in our jobs. We become very familiar with their details and the expertise and techniques needed to address their challenges. Sometimes, however, we do not trust our expertise as much as we should. When faced with difficulties and challenges we can begin to doubt ourselves. Rather than recognising that our deep knowledge of our jobs should give us the confidence to explore and express our intuitions about how problems could be addressed more innovatively and effectively, we fall back upon the tried and tested but sometimes tired approaches that have worked in the past.

This can result in us dealing with our problems adequately, but in a way devoid of any new and creative thinking. This can be likened to a jazz musician who, losing their nerve in front of a live audience, becomes inhibited in their playing, restricting themselves far too much to the reassuring confines of the original melody.

To liberate your intuitions and feelings and allow them to inform your thinking about the problems you face try:

• Auditing your skills so that you can truly appreciate them.
• Practising your skills until they become second nature.
• Allowing yourself to be playful and experimental with issues even though they may be serious and urgent.
• Adapting previous practices to your personal style and the needs of the situations you face.
• Trusting your knowledge and experience and valuing the insights and intuitions they provide.
• Confidently asserting your intuitions and feelings rather than being apologetic and timid about them.
• Being curious about where your intuitions and feelings may lead you and enjoying the journey that takes you there.

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