Team
From GPWiki
  New Decade & The 10 Disciplines That Will Be Required.
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Introducing the team
Communicating Complexity
Creative Logic systems
The Platform for connectivity
Everywhere. Anywhere
Demonstrating Application
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- John Caswell: Founder and originator of the approach, long since overtaken by more smart people. Tries not to be on the Board. Tends to impatiently poke at what's next in forcing SVT™ and 4D™ on unsuspecting partners and clients. Long time cynic for traditional methods of thinking and strategy development. 50 year veteran of working with John Caswell. English and resident of a Triple7. Fluent in coloring in whilst talking. See Also Meaning Making and The 'Pixar' Of Consulting
- Hazel Tiffany: Senior Black Belt. Runs the Practice from many levels but majors in Information Design and Complex Pattern Recognition. Helps develop our point of view. Equity Partner alongside the 4 senior partners. On the Board. Is the primary partner for the Black Belt team combinations with John and Kevin. 6 year veteran working with John Caswell and longer with Alan Mather - responsible for developing the primary IP and developing assignments with the senior clients. Also currently responsible for operations within the whole business. English but living in St Albans. Fluent in Perfect Manhattan.
- Kevin Hoffberg: Senior Black Belt, on the board, and 7 years history with Group Partners. Responsible for a wide and rich range of things globally. Helps develop our point of view. As a core part of the SVT™ practice, he is responsible for all things SVT™ SVT Decision Quality™ (D3) and SVT™ and SVT Decision Quality™ training. He has deep experience with strategic account selling, particularly in services and high tech. Equity Partner alongside the 4 senior partners. American and based in Seattle Washington. USA. Speaks all 6 US dialects. Fluent in long Motorcycle rides and the generation of oceans of words.
- Johanne Cardinal: Director of Client Services in the US. In Star Trek language, Johanne is Kevin's Number One. Which means that she oversees the fast growing operations of Group Partners in the US and interfaces with clients at all levels of customer operations--her past experience in account management in advertising-marketing coming in handy for the task. She also doubles up as a brown belt in Contextual Analysis to Kevin's black belt expertise. Montreal-born, she is fluent in French which is her mother tongue. She's also a serious jazz afficionado.
- Alan Mather: CIO responsible for the technology strategy of the company, deep Government experience, has been a client twice and now on the board. 5 Years history with Group Partners. 7 year veteran working with Hazel Tiffany. Equity Partner alongside the 4 senior partners. Has strong and deep skills in operational trouble shooting and resolution of wicked problems. Agent Provocateur and came to one of the sessions recently in Plano. Helps develop our point of view. English and a resident of London. Fluent in French, Apple Technology and Wine.
- Nasim Hemani: Financial Director. Working to the board. Accounting, Legal and Commercial counsel to ensure we are financially sound and prudent. 2 years with Group Partners. Resident in London.
- Neville Brauer: Chairman since Group Partners inception in 2001. Runs the Board and general counsel on direction, strategy and the care and feeding of Group Partners. South African but lives in London and Spain.
- Sarah Gall: Senior Copywriter. 30+ veteran of working with John Caswell. Supports the practice at various stages on narration, copy editing, original writing and SVT™ and 4D™ support. Additional capture at sessions and overall writing around the corporate nature of Group Partners. Web and Wiki support. Born in West Africa, English but chooses to live in Northern France. Highly fluent in French and photography.
- Jo Brittan: Looks after all large programs. Ex Government client and now 3 years with Group Partners. Expert in the managed development of SVT Live Systems™ at a program level. Creation of SOW's liaison on all financial systems, Reporting generally and all client status reports. Worked with Hazel Tiffany in the UK Government Cabinet Office. English and based in London.
- Andrew Morgan: Head of the SVT™ Design Studio. 25 year veteran working with John Caswell. Runs the production of deliverables, artwork and collateral development for all 4D™ and SVT™ Classic outcomes. Heads the supply chain of partners we use in production. English and based in London.
- Ian Francis: 14 year veteran working with John Caswell. Head of Research & Design. Leads the development of our CAD and Multi-Media and Rich Graphics research and delivery. Works closely with JC to develop the new and developmental look and feel of Group Partners. English, born in South Africa and based in London.
- Chris Baker: Multi Media Designer, 4D and 3D graphics skills, SVT Live Systems™ collateral and information designer working to Ian Francis.
- David Butter: Senior Facilitator at a general level. Equity and long-term partner in the business. Works primarily in the general discussion and conversation stages outside of the SVT™ and 4D™ practice. 10 year veteran working with John Caswell. English and based in London. Fluent in German, French, Italian and Spanish.
- Amanda Bravo:' Executive Support. 15 year veteran working with John Caswell. Is responsible for John, Hazel and Kevin's support and administration - travel, logistics, venue management and somewhat complex(!) diaries. Comes from Newcastle which is almost English and is based in London. Fluent in Geordie and English.
- Lisa Tanner: Office management, overall support to the London Office. Looks after shipping, database, general office functioning and all related matter. English and lives in London.
- Kristina Lightbody: Designer, graphics skills, collateral and information designer working to Andrew Morgan. Thai, but resident of London and speaks English and Thai.
- Ellie Beale: Designer, graphics skills, collateral and information designer working to Andrew Morgan.
- Tessa Bali: Designer, graphics skills, collateral and information designer working to Andrew Morgan.
Technology + Art = Magic.
"You get great creative people, you bet big on them, you give them enormous leeway and support, and you provide them with an environment in which they can get honest feedback from everyone" - John Lesseter. Chief Creative Officer. Pixar Studios
“True creativity is a team sport. People tend to think that creativity is a mysterious solo act. However, in film making and many other kinds of complex product development, creativity involves a large number of people from different disciplines working effectively together to solve a great many problems.”
We are developing a real culture at Group Partners and I genuinely believe we have a great basis upon which we can build. We have to do this as a team. We are bringing new people in, we are opening up in new places around the world, we are investing in our future, We are creating a new market and operational model. There are many reasons for us all to feel good. We still have a lot to do and change encourages us to think harder.
We are starting, with Kevin Hoffberg in the drivers seat, to train others in what we do. This will then be the basis for many licensing conversations, in different flavors for other clients. To start with this is about the method, 4D™ and Structured Visual Thinking™ - later it will have to include our studio and technology solutions. This is going to cause us to act, behave and think deeply about what we are about and teach what we preach.
The question our clients are asking us is - “We really like what you guys do, we want to be able to do that, can you show us how?” - think about that for a minute and it asks us to examine not simply what we do but how do we do it, what are the core skills and what makes it repeatable. How can we replicate both the methods and the manner in which teams work.
What is a team?
In Pixar's case a team consists of a Director, a Writer, some Artists, and some storyboard people. “During early stages you can't judge the teams by the material they are producing as its too rough - many problems and open questions. But you can assess whether the teams social dynamics are healthy and whether the teams are soving problems and making progress. Both the senior management and the development department are responsible for seeing to it that the teams function well.”
The Directors have to be ‘masters’ of knowing how to tell a story and how that story will translate into the medium of film. There are huge analogies to us and what we do. Having a unifying vision and one that gives coherence to thousands of ideas is also a direct map. Turn that vision into clear directives that others can implement. Set others up for success by giving them all the information they need to do their jobs without telling them how to do it. These Directors possess strong analytic skills themselves but also can harness the analytic skills and life experiences of their people. They are superb listeners and strive to understand the thinking behind every suggestion. They appreciate all contributions regardless of where they come from and use the best ones.
Pixar’s Operating Principles
Everyone must have the freedom to communicate with anyone. The decision making hierarchy and communication structures are two different things. People in any area, department or domain must be able to approach anyone in any other are to solve problems without going through 'proper' channels. It's ok - even good - to go to meetings and be surprised.
It must be safe for everyone to offer ideas. Make it safe for people to critique work in progress. Widen the communication, involve many people as the creative process develops and encourage new thoughts, ideas or suggestions to improve in a safe environment. We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community. Talking at conferences, publishing what we do and what we think widely - it may give ideas away but it keeps us close to new technologies, people and thinking and gets back far more innovation in the process. Training and cross training. Interaction, involvement and collaboration by everybody in everything. Its good to work and learn together.
This is also an appropriate and excellent doctrine for Group Partners. I believe it mirrors closely how we want the culture to grow.
“The impulse to tightly control process whilst understandable is almost impossible as problems by definition are unforseen. The most efficient way to deal with numerous problems is to trust people to work together to figure them out.” - John Lesseter
The Peer Culture
The brain trust. Powerful, trusting and in constant review. Working and talking openly about everything builds the best results. Everyone fully invested in helping everyone else. No ego. Nobody pulling any punches either. Nobody just trying to be polite. Trust and respect for each other the only way.
“The primacy of people over ideas. If you give a good idea to a mediocre team they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something that works.” - John Lesseter
