{"id":21508,"date":"2020-12-31T02:44:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T06:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=21508"},"modified":"2021-01-11T19:02:56","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T23:02:56","slug":"pixar-braintrust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/pixar-braintrust\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pixar Braintrust: How Candor Leads to Great Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the Pixar Braintrust? How does the Pixar Braintrust support open communication and solicit good ideas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pixar Braintrust was created by Ed Catmull. During these meetings, Pixar team members who aren\u2019t directly involved in a particular project gather to watch material and provide feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more the Pixar Braintrust, how it worked, and what made it successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Establishing the Pixar Braintrust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Candor is a willingness to be forthright about issues, concerns, and ideas. <\/strong>In a creative environment, candor allows teams to get straightforward feedback to improve their final product. This helps employees see flaws they may have been blind to and get suggestions to move forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure that employees feel comfortable sharing their opinions, develop a judgment-free environment that allows employees to speak up.<\/strong> At Pixar, Catmull developed this environment using a process he called Pixar Braintrust Meetings. Every few months, Pixar team members who aren\u2019t directly involved in a particular project gather to watch material from the project. Afterward, they talk with the project\u2019s director and head creatives about issues and potential routes forward. These meetings rely on everyone sharing their opinions openly and willingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navigating Fear and Insecurity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring candor isn\u2019t easy. <\/strong>People often let their fears and insecurities get in the way of open feedback. As a leader, Catmull believed his responsibility was to ensure people feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts. For example, new members attending Braintrust Meetings often feel insecure about sharing their opinion because they\u2019re new to the group and don\u2019t want to step on any toes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To navigate this, you have to remind employees of the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n