When A Comet Meets a Tornado – The Power of Creative Partnerships
In a world that seems to crave the solitary archetypes of the lone hero, the rugged individual, the anti-social nerd and the alpha wolf, have we forgotten the magic, mystery and power that can be found in the story of collaborative creativity? How is it that two people or a “small” group, with individuals capable and talented in their own right, can create together what they could not have done on their own? These are important questions for both the artistic and entertainment community, as well as that of science and commerce – both in search of “that which is the new” and the illusive innovative breakthrough.
Take, for example, the unexpected “love story” between Professors Randy Pausch and Don Marinelli, who together created the Carnegie Mellon (CMU) Entertainment Technology Centerin a unique marriage of science and art.
Background
Many have heard of “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. Less known is the story of the unique partnership between Pausch and Marinelli (the Associate Head of Drama at CMU), in the building of the CMU ETC. Pausch (the comet – an illuminating astral body) and Marinelli (the tornado – a whirlwind of energy and creativity) were two dynamic men who met each other with polar opposite personalities, skills, life experiences and perspectives, but still found a way to powerfully join forces, create something much bigger than themselves, and unexpectedly change each other in the process. Their premise: that the false divide that often exists between engineering and art could be bridged by showing that the two actually think surprisingly alike and can work together in trusted collaboration without mastery of knowledge in the other’s domain. Their work resulted in the definition of a unique interdisciplinary approach to the creation of technology-driven interactive entertainment founded on premises of team dynamics that provide valuable lessons for individuals and companies far beyond the walls of academia.
“…while we were both alpha males, we were from vastly different cultures. The battle for domination was essentially neutralized when we realized it wasn’t about which lion would rule the pride, because we were actually two distinctive breeds sharing the same enclosure. And that environment was unfamiliar to both of us … “ - Don Marinelli (p. 42)
Defining the Individual
For Pausch and Marinelli, in order to understand and maximize the dynamics of the group, one had to first define two major dimensions of importance of the individual.
(1) Defining the value one uniquely brings to the team : A unique (self-understood) skill set and a predisposition to making others successful (vs just being smart) are paramount.
“Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.” - Randy Pausch (p. 33)
“Smart isn’t enough. The kind of people I want on my research team are those who will help everyone else feel happy to be here.’” Randy Pausch (p. 118)
(2) Acknowledging the value that “the other half” on the team provides: Defining what you don’t know, and that you don’t need to know it because other trusted members of your team have that knowledge. Admitting the “lack of knowledge” held by “the other half” tends to clear away many of the opportunities for egos and attitude triggered by a fear of comparison.
“When we’re connected to others, we become better people.” - Randy Pausch (p. 176)
" When I collaborate with people, the further apart they are from me, the more I learn.” - Don Marinelli (p. 80)
Defining the Dynamics of the Group
Pausch and Marinelli believed that the best innovative (and inherently risky in terms of predicted outcome) work would be done by groups defined by a significant diversity of skills and experiences among members, mixed with a strong commonality of “teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship, the value of hard work, and ability to deal with adversity.”
“When we’re connected to others, we become better people.” - Randy Pausch (p. 176)
"When I collaborate with people, the further apart they are from me, the more I learn.” - Don Marinelli (p. 80)
Married with this philosophy of the creative team, was a set of simple “rules” for optimizing group dynamics:
Meet people properly
Find things you have in common
Try for optimal meeting conditions
Let everyone talk
Check egos at the door
Praise each other
Phrase alternatives as questions
Equally important was a set of guidelines for giving and taking feedback.
On giving: “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” - Randy Pausch (p. 151)
On taking: “When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you.” - Randy Pausch (p. 37)
New Research and Writings
Beyond the story of Pausch and Marinelli, there is some interesting new research and writing on this topic of “socially powered creativity” that echoes and amplifies their practical lessons from building the ETC.
Writer Joshua Wolf Shenk has begun a series of posts on Slate.com as well as a group page on Facebook to examine the story of “creative pairs” (he’s limiting his “group size” to the number 2). His premise:
“The stereotypes of miraculous breakthrough moments—and the incessant drive to locate them in the head of epic individuals—are slowly yielding to a portrait of complex, meandering, inherently social paths toward innovation… there’s an experimental foundation now to demonstrate how our cognitive structures morph when we’re very close with other people, so that our ideas of “self” literally expand to include another person.”
Beyond face-to-face creative collaboration, some like Steven Johnson are writing about the amplification that the Internet provides in its role as a connector of diverse and remote relationships.
And others, like Daniel Pink in “Drive” are writing about what motivates us – and surprise – it’s not about “carrots and sticks”, but about mastery and purpose, something that Pausch and Marinelli learned early on in the forming of ETC.
Lesson Learned
So what happens when a comet meets a tornado – when the creative state successfully moves from the solitary to the collaborative? In his relationship with Pausch, Marinelli observed that:
“… (there is an) importance of being attuned to more than one’s personal desires and ambitions. If you truly believe the answer is blowing in the wind, then you need to go outside to feel it. I stepped outside my previous existence and, in doing so, discovered an alluring vortex. The funnel-cloud of creativity would soon develop into a veritable tornado of innovation.”
When it comes to creative endeavors, we should all hope for this kind of “stormy weather.”
Resources
Books
"The Comet and The Tornado" by Don Marinelli
"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch
"Where Good Ideas Come From" by Steven Johnson
"Drive" by Daniel Pink
Video
Blog Posts and Groups
“Two Is the Magic Number – A New Science of Creativity” by Joshua Wolf Shenk
"PowerDuos" by Steve Silberman