Authors: Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
The title of this book gives the impression that it is all about unleashing the creativity in our organizations. Pixar is the epitome of creativity, having released brilliant animated movies that captured the hearts and souls of people from all corners of the globe. Who better to write their story than Ed Catmull, Pixar’s co-founder and leader since 1986. At it’s heart this book is a business book that has many pearls of wisdom. Ed writes in characteristic understated fashion and I find his wavelength resonating with many of my personal beliefs.
He emphasizes that Managers should not be looking to prevent risk, but rather spend time building the ability to recover. He does not mince words in emphasizing the importance of being honest with your employees. In his words, “You don’t want an organization where there is more candor in the hallways than in the rooms where fundamental ideas or matters of policy are being hashed out”.
One of the great traditions at Pixar that Ed is most proud of is the concept of the “Braintrust”. Early in the film-making process, they hold a screening with employees who are tasked with giving candid feedback to the Director. These employees come from all parts of Pixar and are collectively referred to as the Braintrust. The great part about the Braintrust is that the Director is required to listen to the feedback, but is not required to incorporate it all into the movie. This prevents the Braintrust from becoming a power-house that cn eventually be corrupted. The nice thing about Pixar is that the Braintrust has employees from different levels in the organization and they have created an atmosphere where there is no fear of retribution if the feedback is not favorably received by the Director.
While creativity is the focus, the book is really about business and there are many pithy business quotes sprinkled in the book. There are many anecdotes in the book that make it clear that Pixar treats its employees well. Ed writes, “Your employees are smart, which is why you hired them. So treat them that way”.
Ed also emphasizes the need to create a culture where failure is accepted and is a necessary part of the creative process. He says, “Do not fall for the illusion that by preventing errors you won’t have errors to fix. The truth is, the cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them”. The end of the book summarizes the many smart business nuggets that are the key takeaways from this book. I wish I could implement all of them in my workplace.
The title of this book gives the impression that it is all about unleashing the creativity in our organizations. Pixar is the epitome of creativity, having released brilliant animated movies that captured the hearts and souls of people from all corners of the globe. Who better to write their story than Ed Catmull, Pixar’s co-founder and leader since 1986. At it’s heart this book is a business book that has many pearls of wisdom. Ed writes in characteristic understated fashion and I find his wavelength resonating with many of my personal beliefs.
He emphasizes that Managers should not be looking to prevent risk, but rather spend time building the ability to recover. He does not mince words in emphasizing the importance of being honest with your employees. In his words, “You don’t want an organization where there is more candor in the hallways than in the rooms where fundamental ideas or matters of policy are being hashed out”.
One of the great traditions at Pixar that Ed is most proud of is the concept of the “Braintrust”. Early in the film-making process, they hold a screening with employees who are tasked with giving candid feedback to the Director. These employees come from all parts of Pixar and are collectively referred to as the Braintrust. The great part about the Braintrust is that the Director is required to listen to the feedback, but is not required to incorporate it all into the movie. This prevents the Braintrust from becoming a power-house that cn eventually be corrupted. The nice thing about Pixar is that the Braintrust has employees from different levels in the organization and they have created an atmosphere where there is no fear of retribution if the feedback is not favorably received by the Director.
While creativity is the focus, the book is really about business and there are many pithy business quotes sprinkled in the book. There are many anecdotes in the book that make it clear that Pixar treats its employees well. Ed writes, “Your employees are smart, which is why you hired them. So treat them that way”.
Ed also emphasizes the need to create a culture where failure is accepted and is a necessary part of the creative process. He says, “Do not fall for the illusion that by preventing errors you won’t have errors to fix. The truth is, the cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them”. The end of the book summarizes the many smart business nuggets that are the key takeaways from this book. I wish I could implement all of them in my workplace.
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