Lessons from Indian classical music for mgmt

Management education draws inspiration from diverse sources. However, what could link a concept steeped in process improvement such as lean operations with Indian classical music? And how could this influence the way management is taught and thought of?

Let us begin with understanding two key concepts from each of these worlds – ‘Sum’ and ‘Takt’. Sum– to be precise -is a concept well understood by followers of Hindustani classical music and most of them consider it to be its most important and critical foundation. Sum is the first beat in the cycle andis significant in both the performance and theory of Hindustani classical music. The fixation for maintaining that beat comes from the words of kathak(the dance form) and tabla (percussion instrument) gurus “You have to finish on Sum”, whichreverberate in the minds of all students. The fixation is not unwarranted – Sum’simportance is in establishing a resolution or reconciliation point. The idea is that no matter what rhythm cycle or improvisation one plays, one has to be attentive to how the rhythm will be rounded off and Sum will be arrived at in the end.all variations get resolved and reconciled at Sum. Lean Systems are the epitome of operations in management. In Lean Management, Takt Time is again a fundamental concept and refers to “the average time between the start of production of one unit and the start of production of the next unit, when these production starts are set to match the rate of customer demand”. The root of Takt lies in the German word ‘Taktzeit’ which means pulse. Takt Time can thus be understood as a measurable beat time, rate time, or heartbeat. So, what links these two totally distinct concepts of Sum and Takt Time? It starts with the fact that both are more than just metrics of timing if one thinks deeply about them. In Lean Systems, Takt Time is the smallest indivisible time unit at which a finished product needs to be completed in order to meet customer demand. Any variation in the demand or supply has to be absorbed and resolved in the Takt period and hence it is the pulse of the system; a pulse that cannot be allowed to vary. Similarly, Sum is the guiding principle for the percussionist and dancer. Many variations and improvisations can take place within the cycle but the eye is always on the arrival, the rounding off, the conclusion, which is the Sum (thetakt Time, which cannot vary). Management education emphasizes the importance of concepts such as Lean Systems, the holy grail of operations. But in traditional societies education ideally should not stand isolated in trying to imbibe only established theoretical practices but try to marry them with lessons from our own heritage, culture, and history.