Business Lessons From Art

While I’ve been a technologist for many years, I have always found great joy in the arts. I strongly believe that my experience in the arts has helped in my career in technology. I’ve learned to convey ideas through creative writing, read a room through improv comedy, and synch with a team in dance. Below are some lessons of how I apply lessons in art to business.

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Appreciate Every Criticism

I'm 6 years old, excited for ballet class, enjoying the feel of my black leotard and pink tutu. Class starts and I'm having fun twirling and kicking, as little ballerinas will do. Then my teacher pats my round tummy and says “suck in.” I look around, expecting her to do the same to all the other dancers, but she does not. Instead of feeling hurt or angry that I was singled out, I immediately say, “thank you, Madame” and suck in.

In ballet, you learn very early on to thank your teacher for every critique they give you. Why? Because they have taken the time and energy to help make you better. Because, whether you agree with their critique, they are bestowing their experience and wisdom upon you – and they can see things that you cannot as they look at a full group of dancers.

And, that lesson definitely applies to business. We often receive constructive criticism from a well-meaning supervisor – and our cheeks burn with shame, our stomach sinks, and we feel angry. Sometimes we even argue with the feedback. But how often do we stop to thank them for taking the time to give the feedback? For thinking about how to improve our performance and better tap into our potential? And then sharing it in a way that was clear and actionable with some examples, and offering support to improve?

Changing perspective to view all feedback as beneficial to our journey helps us to incorporate it better as we grow professionally. It helps to realize that every critique, no matter how harsh, deserves a “thank you.”

The Audience Drives the Delivery ??

Cast in a supporting role in my high school production of Romeo and Juliet, we win regional competitions and now we’re preparing for the national competition on a bigger stage with a bigger audience. At our first rehearsal, I come out and do my first line as usual. To my surprise, our director yells “Cut!” and proceeds to go all the way to the back of the auditorium, up the balcony, and asks me to do it again. I feel silly. The theater is empty, except her all the way in the back. But I do it big… and she says I look like an ant and sound like a mouse. So, I do it again and again and again. Finally, she swaps seats with me, and I watch from the balcony as she does it both the way I’m doing it and the way she wants it done.

And a light bulb goes off. The audience is bigger and further away, and there’s more to distract them. If I don’t catch their attention, they won’t understand the scene and will be confused. I can’t just be big for this new audience – I need to be BIG.

In business, we often deliver the same message to different audiences, which can mean brushing off the tried-and-true PowerPoint deck and script, and perhaps changing a few words or logos. It’s worked well before, so we feel confident. But pausing to think first about our audience can make our message much more effective. We can reflect on their mindset as well as their goals, biases, and concerns, then tailor how we approach the conversation. ?

As you go into conversations or presentations, I urge you not to think only about what you want to say – but what does your audience want or need to hear. How are they most likely to receive that information? What will resonate the most with them at this point in time or in this medium?

Don’t Trip Over Your Brain

I admit it – I’m a perfectionist. I like to do things well. I don’t like to mess up or <gasp> fail. So, I tend to do things I know have a reasonable chance of success. To assess what will be successful, I spend a lot of time thinking. But, in recent years, I’ve pushed myself to do things that force me to turn off my “thinking brain” and, instead, just do.

During the pandemic, my children and I taped up prints of famous paintings to create an “art museum.” Then we each took an easel, brushes, and paints to paint something we were inspired by. Anyone who’s done a project with a 3- and 6-year-old knows that you don’t have time to think or hesitate. So, I don’t think about what I should paint or what colors would look good together. I just paint. And I have so much fun! The final product is more beautiful to me because of the whimsy it represents, the freedom in not thinking, but just doing.

My team had a recent discussion about reducing overthinking when we noticed we were slowing momentum by taking too long to send important emails. They said that they drafted the emails right away but would spend far too long reviewing, editing, and overthinking. I asked them to reflect if the differences between a “final” and initial draft of the same email were worth the amount of time spent on revisions. And when they had seen mistakes from people they admired and whether it changed their perceptions of the person. I also sensed that my own perfectionism may be getting in their heads, so I shared examples of my many mistakes. ?

It often feels safer to think through every scenario, pick the perfect word, or over-engineer a role. But overthinking can actually get in the way of the results we hope to achieve, tripping us up as we strive to be our best. I invite you to notice where you tend to ruminate or deliberate too much, whether it’s emails to a certain executive, preparing for specific meetings, or drafting LinkedIn posts. Then force yourself to try something different – set a time limit, send your first draft, or ask someone else to revise. You may be surprised by the results that come with the freedom of not overthinking.

Views are my own and don't reflect the views of my employer.