The view from the trenches: an interview with Harvey Seifter and Tim Stockil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the viewpoints of two leaders in bridging the world of the arts and the world of business in order to enhance organizational success. Harvey Seifter from the Arts and Business Council and Tim Stockil, formerly a director of Creative Development for Arts & Business in the UK, discuss the history, development and current status of the relationships between businesspeople and artists. Design/methodology/approach – The author conducted separate interviews with Seifter and Stockil and summarizes their perspectives. Findings – The relationship between business and arts has changed from business sponsorship of the arts to include the application of knowledge and expertise in the creative process to the solutions of business problems. The scope of artistic skills and arts‐based applications is wide ranging and impacts culture change in organizations. The interviewees explain how skills utilized by artists such as team building, feedback and rehearsing contribute to success. They examine the barriers, such as concern for ROI and risk avoidance, impacting the transference of artistic knowledge to business endeavors. Stockil and Seifter conclude by examining the role of creativity in shaping the future of business. Practical implications – The paper should be of interest to corporate executives, organizational development professionals and human performance improvement specialists who are seeking new approaches to solving workplace issues. Originality/value – This paper describes insights from two of the primary leaders in building bridges between business and the arts. It provides descriptions and case studies that illustrate the creative application of artistic skills and processes to solving organizational problems.