Steering the Rocket -- Leading Creative Teams (GDExpo 2010)

Steering the Rocket
Harnessing the Power of
Creative Teams

Disclaimer
Most images property of NASA.
All rights held by their respective owners.
Space Marine screenshot is copyright 2010 Relic Entertainment Inc./THQ Canada Inc./Games Workshop Inc.
All my text, words, and thoughts are my intellectual property. You are welcome to use extracts from this talk, but please ask me first.

preamble
Why are we here?

Intended audience
Not a design talk!
This talk is for current or aspiring leaders of ‘creative’ developers
Deck will be published, so don’t bother with notes
Not meant to be prescriptive – these are just one person’s ideas!

Who the hell is this guy?
Game director at Relic Entertainment
On Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
3rd person action-shooter set in one of the most beloved science-fiction universes ever created
Triple-A, multiplatform, blockbuster, 120-person team, etc.

..and before that…
Narrative director at Ubi Montreal
Creative director at Radar Group
Producer & AP at Relic Entertainment
Freelance game writer/designer
Copywriter
Technical Writer

Ok, but does he know what he’s talking about?
Have worked with creative people in a variety of environments, within a variety of relationship dynamics:
Supporting/Directing
Highly creative/Not creative at all
Internal/External
On-site/Off-site/Virtual office
Big teams/Small teams

Don’t worry, folks. I must know what I’m talking about -- I have a microphone.

Common themes
In all those varied roles and work, I’ve seen common themes emerge:
Everyone needs to feel ownership for their work
Everyone wants to contribute something meaningful
Every creative person needs to express themselves
But, creativity is not – by nature – a collaborative act. This is the conundrum.

Why ‘steering the rocket’?
Because when you are guiding a team of highly creative people working in a productive, collaborative environment…
…you have a thing with a tremendous amount of force and momentum, that be harnessed for good…
…or explode disastrously.
As creative leaders, our responsibility is to steer the rocket to its intended destination.

“Gents…this is where we’re headed. Buckle up.”

“Is that supposed to happen?”

…but wait a second here…
…it’s kinda hard to steer a rocket you don’t have.

“Gentlemen…we might have a problem.”

Steering Building a Rocket
Creative Teams

Building a Rocket, then Steering it somewhere cool
Creative Teams

Making sure that damn rocket doesn’t blow up in your face!
Creative Teams

WTF Rockets?
Run away!

Woah, woah, woah…let’s take a step back for a second!!

part 1: Build the rocket

The question
Q: How do you turn a group of creative individuals into an ICBM of unified creative potential?
A: You embrace some truths.

Some truths
To make games, we need our teams to be productive.
People are most productive when they are motivated and empowered.
People feel most empowered/motivated when they feel self-determining, and able to express themselves.

What is creativity?
Solving problems
Sometimes in unconventional ways
An exploratory process, towards discovery
Sometimes gradual
Sometimes event-based (Eureka!)
Applying one’s unique mixture of knowledge and experience to find optimal, usable solutions
Combining ideas or things into new ideas or things

Paradox?
The creative act is rarely collaborative.
Creativity is a function of individualistic expression.
We need to work in teams.
Q: How do we reconcile the need for individualistic self-determinism with the need for a team to work as a cohesive unit?

(Bad): “Having to work with these other guys is making me anxious…”

(Good): “With combined our creativity, and got the job done.”

Equilibrium
All this creative anxiety/energy can be incredibly destructive, if it is not properly channeled.
But, there are ways to strike a balance between these seemingly conflicting wants and needs.
The first step is to establish a framework for positive creativity to flourish within.

framework

Roles & relationships are key
You start with recognizing some key roles & relationships
and formalizing them if necessary.
Two key roles in this relationship: creators, and creative leaders
Creative leaders establish the parameters
Creators exercise their creative process within those constraints

Note the creative leader, at home in his element

Role Breakdown
Creative leaders
Establish constraints
Remain high-level
Think holistically
Their creativity is expressed through the assembly of pieces
Are few (or one!)
Creators
Work within constraints
Dig into details
Thinkatomistically
Their creativity is expressed in their interpretation of the piece
Are many…

Why does this matter?
Creators need the freedom to push against boundaries
Creative leaders provide the constraints so good exploration can happen
Creators want to work along a ‘what’ axis, not a ‘how’ axis
Creative leaders provide ‘Command Intent’
Creators need to be able to focus single-mindedly on their goals
Creative leaders keep their eyes on the horizon line
Exist in a state of symbiosis

Foster a creative culture
Origin: bef. 1000; ME; OE fōstor nourishment, fōstrian to nourish; c. ON fōstr;
This is the paramount responsibility of the creative leader, and their primary reason for existence.
A damaged or broken creative culture is one of the most destructive problems to have, and one of the most difficult to fix.

Atmospheric conditions
What’s the weather like out there?

Q: How do you create an atmosphere within which incredible creativity can emerge and thrive?
A: You first evaluate your creative environment:
Organization
Communication
Proximity

Organization
Getting into details on this is an entire presentation of its own…but ask yourself these Qs:
Do you have a team structure that empowers individual creators?
Do you have the right people in leadership roles?
Does everyone on your team understand who provides them direction?
…everyone else provides guidance.

(BAD) “I hope someone knows what I’m supposed to be doing…”

(GOOD) “I am confident and without anxiety.”

Communication
Org chart /= communication flow
(Thanks, Pixar!)
Encourage maximum interactions
No meetings without documented decisions!
Get things onto walls
Regular broadcasts to team
Email blasts
Team stand-ups
Milestone celebrations

Address your team often. Get them excited.

Proximity
Co-locate
Remove obstructions
Team structure and locations should be dynamic
…but don’t go crazy.

PART 2: Steering the rocket
How to lead a creative team

Go for launch?
Are you ready to fly?

Necessary conditions
Target
Does your team know what you’re trying to accomplish?
Tension
Will your team be challenged by the goal?
Energy source
Do you have the people, culture, layout to build positive momentum?

Surface tension
Creativity benefits from positive tension:
Constraints
Passionate debate
Varying POVs
…and can be greatly damaged by negative tension:
Anxiety over roles and authorship
Divergent POVs
Destructive discussion

Walls & Waypoints
People need boundaries to push against
Problem-solving depends on knowing the problem that you are trying to solve…
…as well as what you have to work with in finding the solution.
They also need navigational markers
How to know you are on track…
…or lost in the wilds.

Roles & authorship
Communication and idea-sharing needs to be freeform and with minimal obstruction
But, roles need to be clearly defined
Everyone wants to feel like they own something, after all
And lines of authorship need to be clearly understood
Who provides guidance
Who provides direction
With all this made clear, creative collaboration can happen more openly, honestly, and in a ‘safe’ environment.

Dialogue & debate
Discussion is critical to fostering an environment where successful creativity thrives
When people understand the constraints, roles, and lines of authorship, dialogue becomes a powerful force for idea generation and validation.

Varying POVs
Multi-disciplinary teams are one of the best catalysts for creativity
You combine people with different skillsets and varied POVs, and point them at a problem
If you have the right people and you point them at a well-defined problem, this can be an incredibly potent engine for driving creative work and solutions.
(Note: This can take many forms; not a scrum endorsement, per se)

“Hell yeah…we figured it out!”

Telemetry
Cast a clear vision, articulate it with finesse, and communicate it tirelessly
Use all the means at your disposal:
1:1s
Infographics
Team talks & presentations
Bibles
You know you’ve won when people start converting you with your own evangelism!!

Comms
Establish clear roles and lines of authorship/ownership
Every major feature or content area needs an owner
Everyone needs to know who that owner is
Encourage lively debate that is open and honest (but respectful!) and free from censorship
Identify the constraints and communicate them effectively and consistently
Use your leads and supervisors to spread your message

Let your creative evolve
Provide the opportunity for ideas to evolve based on new knowledge, or better inputs!
Be willing to replace ideas with better ideas
Not just different, but better
Your ideas are not necessarily better
…in fact, an equivalent idea from someone else is always better.

(GOOD) “That’s an even better idea. I can adapt to that.”

Be honest & agile
Acknowledge that creativity is a living process constantly unfolding…
it is not a static prop to be rolled out once a milestone
or a bullet on a marketing checklist
Truth: You cannot plan for everything
…you’ll need to be able to adapt.

“Listen up, people. This chart says it’s time for us to be creative!”

The hardest truth
Your vision will be tested every day.
Your team will push against you every day.
You will need to prove yourself every day.
You will not always have the answer…
…but the team still needs to move forward.
…that’s why it’s like ‘steering a rocket’, and you can never ever ever ever stop, not for a second.

Don’t worry, it’s no big deal if you fail. 

Get it right, and there is nothing you can’t accomplish. 

Q&A
“But, but…we have so many funny questions!”

Contact
Raphael van Lierop
Game director, Relic Entertainment
Email:
rvanlierop@relic.com / raphael.van.lierop@gmail.com
Blog:
particleghost.blogspot.com
Social:
twitter.com/raphlife
Professional:
linkedin.com/in/rvanlierop

Thank you!

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Steering the Rocket -- Leading Creative Teams (GDExpo 2010)

by Raphael van Lierop on Feb 17, 2011

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Steering the Rocket -- Leading Creative Teams (GDExpo 2010) — Presentation Transcript