Innovate the PIXAR WAY

The authors of the best selling book THE DISNEY WAY have now released a new book, INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY, designed for us animation junkies (I have seen all their films) and for business minded people wanting to hear about new keys to success.

Pixar is synonymous with creativity, magical stories and unforgettable characters, from Buzz Lightyear and Remy the Rat to Mike Wazonwski, Nemo and Wall-E.  Behind the fun, however, is a set of deeply routed core values that champion excellence, tap innovation and encourage collaboration.

In Pixar’s own words, their “objective is to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer animated feature films with memorable characters and heart warming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.”  Pixar’s winning formula has created 10 Blockbuster hits in a row grossing over $5 Billion and costing a little over $1 Billion dollars to make.

Several years ago while I attended San Francisco State University’s Multi-Media program I was fortunate enough to go inside Pixar, Lucas Arts and many other companies like them. What I noticed was a major change in the way they did business. The old hierarchal system of doing business was giving way to more of a collaborative management style. The meeting tables were round and everyone of the team at the table was as important as any of the others. No one boss talking to the pecking order.

(more…)