What Pixar and Amazon Know About Change That You Don't
READ TIME - 4 MINUTES
Josh stood before a room of blank faces, the silence deafening.
His carefully crafted presentation on the upcoming digital transformation hung in the air, met with a wall of indifference.
He could almost hear the collective eye-rolls and stifled yawns.
"Any questions?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly. The words seemed to evaporate in the dull conference room.
A single hand raised tentatively. "Um, when exactly is this happening?" came a hesitant voice from the back.
Josh's heart sank. After weeks of communication, was that really all they had to ask?
He could tell they didn’t give a sh*t.
As he packed up his laptop, the pit in his stomach growing, Josh couldn't shake the feeling that despite all their planning, this change initiative was already losing steam.
"How the hell can I get people more engaged?", he wondered, his mind racing for a solution.
Little did Josh know, the answer to his woes could be found in an unlikely pair: a Hollywood animation studio and an e-commerce giant.
If you’ve been struggling with disengaged or bored stakeholders, we get it. We’ve all been there!
Here’s a tactic that could change everything:
The Braintrust
Pixar's Braintrust is the secret sauce behind their string of blockbusters. As Ed Catmull, Pixar co-founder, puts it: "The Braintrust is our primary delivery system for straight talk." How to adapt it for change management:
Assemble a diverse group of 5-8 stakeholders from different levels and departments.
Meet regularly throughout the change process (every 2-4 weeks).
Create a safe space for honest, constructive feedback.
The role of the Brainstrust is to capture insights and suggestions to improve the transformation program and adoption, but this isn’t a decision making body. They have a voice, not a vote. As always, the change program’s leadership takes decisions.
Pro tips:
1. Start each Braintrust session with a clear problem statement. For example: "How can we address the policy team's concerns about the new CRM system?"
2. Use the 'two pizza' rule for your Braintrust meetings too. Amazon's Jeff Bezos famously said, "If it takes more than two pizzas to feed the team, the team is too big."
Smaller groups encourage more open, honest communication.
3. Foster Psychological Safety: Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor, defines psychological safety as "a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes."
To get the most benefit from The Brainstrust, this is a non-negotiable. How to create it:
Lead by example: admit your own uncertainties and mistakes.
Commit to 'plussing': always building on ideas rather than shutting them down.
Encourage participants to separate the person from the problem: critique ideas, not individuals.
Start meetings with a quick round of "What's the biggest mistake you made this week, and what did you learn?" Go first and share vulnerably. It normalises failure and promotes learning.
4. Leverage Diverse Perspectives: Use the "Six Thinking Hats" technique in your Braintrust meetings to ensure all perspectives are considered. You can do this by:
Including frontline employees in your Braintrust, not just leaders.
Rotating Braintrust membership to bring in fresh perspectives.
Encouraging cross-functional 'two pizza' teams to tackle specific change challenges
5. End each Braintrust meeting with clear action items and owners.
Next time you’re faced with the wall of silence, look for ways to incorporate a Brainstrust Approach into your change efforts.
It takes work, but your meetings, briefings and showcases CAN become a buzzing hive of engagement, with small teams tackling challenges head-on and a Braintrust to keep the overall vision on track.
Coming up next Tuesday, we’re talking all about what to do when the change experts are battling change fatigue - Don't miss it!
Have a great week,
Team EVER
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