I am not musically inclined, which is why I chose to learn the Harmonica. I picked one up for the first time about five years ago. I found pretty soon thereafter that i could reproduce a few tunes, and some basic melodies without really having to practice for very long at all. I started to think that maybe i had some musical ability after all. I had never had much success with the violin, or the piano, or the guitar when i was younger… but the harmonica seemed to come so much easier for me. I learned to play a few more tunes, and pretty soon i found that i could even copy some songs straight from the radio and make them sound good. I was blown away. I started to envision myself on a stage, touring with a bluegrass or jazz band… laying down a sweet harmony or an amazing harmonica solo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzRgVFVlrXw
Then I learned that harmonicas are specifically engineered and designed to sound good and complement just about any song that you might be playing. The reed plates (the part that makes the sound), are precisely tuned and adjusted so that even if you play the wrong note, the note next to it will harmonize with the note that you were actually supposed to be playing. If you blow two or three notes at a time, or inhale when you should have exhaled… it still produces something that sounds good. I realized that my innate musical ability on the harmonica was actually just a result of ingenious German engineering.
This has not made me appreciate the instrument any less. In fact, I have continued to practice for the last few years and I have continued to improve. I learned how to “bend” notes, and about tremolo, and how to play cross-harp (these are all technical harmonica terms, in case you didn’t know). What I love most about the harmonica is that I can practice in the car while I am driving to and from work. My greatest challenge in learning other instruments is that I could never dedicate the necessary time to practice, but now I am able to play during time commuting that would otherwise be empty.
There are two important points to convey in this:
First, learn to play the harmonica. It’s easy. I find it a good way to relieve stress.
Second, in looking at the systems and processes that run and govern your business, how might you engineer those to yield better results with less effort? Are there any technologies you might implement, or improvements that you might make which would allow your employees to be more efficient or more successful in their duties and assignments? How could you design a process or task so that it naturally produces results you are looking for? Can you create a business model that is inherently profitable?
If you frequently experience challenges that seem impossible to overcome… maybe you are just playing the wrong instrument.
business confab 