Why Collaboration is Important in Schools and in the Business Workplace – The Pixar and OMA Models

Last week, we addressed the importance of unleashing your childlike potential by trying something new, learning from the experience (yes…even failing!) and trying again. This is one of the hallmarks of Pixar’s phenomenal success that we reveal in the soon to be released Innovate the Pixar Way – Business Lessons from the World’s Most Creative Corporate Playground. The Tucson Unified School District’s (TUSD) Opening Minds through the Arts student achievement program (OMA) is a fantastic example of how to unleash the true potential of our greatest treasure – our children. (If you have not visited edutopia.org to watch these students in the learning process, you are missing something great – what they can teach us is amazing).

This week, we will reveal another hallmark of Pixar’s success formula -- collaboration. And, we’ll share why the OMA student achievement program is a shining example of Pixar-style collaboration in the public school system!

When you think of the term “collaboration,” you might be thinking about networking, cooperation, coordination and or partnerships. While these may seem like synonyms for the term, actually each has unique differences:

Networking: an informal sharing of information with loose links between individuals; usually informal communication; no decision making and little, if any, leadership.
Example: trade shows, professional society meetings

Cooperation: central body of individuals collected together to ensure that some task is completed with formal links and structured communication; complex decision making with multiple leadership often representing conflicting agendas.
Example: Design and implementation of a new software system requires cooperation between user departments and information technology to complete the task. They rarely share a common vision and often have conflicting objectives.

Coordination: multiple groups of individuals with clearly defined roles; communication is usually on an as-needed basis; autonomous leadership and decision making within each group.
Example: On an automotive assembly line, the car body must be completed before the door assembly can be attached. Obviously, these two departments must coordinate their efforts.

Partnerships: multiple groups coming together willing to share ideas and resources; roles are usually formal, but communication often informal; leadership is shared with formal decision making among members. Example: Packaging vendor and production line managers work together to optimize packaging requirements and efficiencies.

Now for Collaboration: one group with a shared vision; spontaneous communication where ideas are freely shared; consensus decision making with highly trusted and trusting leadership.
Example: New product development team with dedicated representation from engineering, marketing, finance, procurement, etc. A team in which members rally around a common vision rather than their individual departmental objectives.

At Pixar, the mantra “art is a team sport” represents the very essence of learning and working in a collaborative fashion. Fittingly, Pixar University’s crest is “Alienus Non Diutius”, meaning alone no longer.

Collaboration at Pixar is bringing together the skills, ideas and personality styles of an entire team to achieve a shared vision; “Yes, and” (rather then “No, this is better”) is part of Pixar’s common lexicon that fosters collective creativity, and keeps the vibe and energy in the room upbeat and alive.

Randy Nelson, dean of Pixar University stated, “Collaboration for Pixar means, amplification… by hooking up a number of human beings who are listening to each other… finding the most articulate way to get a high fidelity notion across to a broad range of people so they can each pull on the right lever.” Wow! What a definition. We just love those words, “high fidelity notion across a broad range of people.” Randy stresses the importance of “making your partner look good.” It’s not important that someone’s original idea might be flawed. It’s up to the team members to “plus” each idea presented within the group to achieve an exciting and productive end result that was truly born through a collaborative effort.


In the creation of OMA, bringing the right team of collaborators together was the key. Joan Ashcraft, director of fine and performing arts at TUSD and co-founder of OMA, said, “I was so grateful to have Gene Jones (founding “dreamer” and champion of OMA) say to me, ‘just do it…find people that support your dreams.’” Roger Pfeuffer, former superintendent of the TUSD, said that it was imperative that the “dream” team collaborate to develop an arts integration curriculum to develop fully functioning individuals. Roger explained, “The OMA model isn’t an add-on--it’s got to be part of the core.”

Collaboration at OMA is the antithesis of the traditional public school system model. OMA classroom teachers work with both arts integration specialists and teaching artists to integrate the art form being utilized at a particular grade level with regular lesson plans for language arts, math and science. Not only does the classroom teacher’s lesson plan enhance the work of the OMA arts integration specialist and teaching artists, their work is reinforced in his or her classroom so that students truly understand the concepts being taught. What a novel idea!

And as OMA cofounder Jan Vesely added, “We integrated art and music into the learning because I believe that higher order thinking comes when you integrate.” Isn’t that what we want for our future innovators… “higher order thinking?”

A “high fidelity notion across a broad range of people” is exactly what OMA is doing. Art and music are no longer a “coordinated” effort between the music teacher and the classroom teacher. Rather it is a collaboration that brings together the classroom teacher, the arts integration specialist, the school principal and the student in an exceptional education experience.

So what can you do? Is your goal to provide memorable, unique, engaging, “3D Technicolor” customer experiences? If so, challenge your team to create a shared vision, keep the communication lines open, build upon one another’s ideas, and most importantly, create an environment of mutual trust and respect.

Innovation does not come from a miraculous revelation on the “road to Damascus.” It comes from a passionate dedication to non-stop Pixar-style collaboration!

Next Blog: Why business should be concerned about our educational system

How an Arts Integration School Program relates to Pixar Innovation

You may ask, “Why include an elementary school in a business book about innovation?” In today’s blog, we will address the first of several reasons. As we present in Innovate the Pixar Way, one of the keys to the phenomenal success of Pixar is their ability to and their passion for unleashing the inner childlike potential, creativity and dreams of their people. So, what better place to study childlike potential than in a place that practices an innovative, art-centered approach to education? In an economy where many schools are reducing or eliminating their art and music programs, Tucson’s Opening Minds through the Arts student achievement program (OMA) is thriving. In fact, OMA has become a leader in a national movement to integrate arts education with core curriculum.

In OMA, grade school children are learning reading, writing, math and science NOT by sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher tell them what will be on Friday’s quiz. OMA students learn by experiencing opera, dance or music. Yet, the word “experience” doesn’t adequately describe this innovative learning process. Go to edutopia.org and watch these students! Bill has had the opportunity to observe many of OMA’s classes, and is amazed at how totally immersed the students are in their artistic adventure. They are learning by discovery and ah-has… not by an “expert teacher” screwing off their heads and pouring facts in that they will likely forget two days after every quiz!

In December, our youngest grandchild Sophia will be two years old. It was great fun watching her learn how to walk. First she discovered her feet. When she would lie on her stomach, she realized that she couldn’t see her feet and she would get so frustrated. Soon she discovered how to roll over, and was overjoyed that she could once again see her toes. Next came the crawling, standing and walking while holding onto furniture and then one day, she discovered she could walk (and climb!). Many of us have watched with anticipation as our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews go through this discovery process. If Sophie’s parents would have said, “Ok Sophie, you are now 13 months old and it is time that you learn to walk. Put one foot ahead of the other and walk across the room. Practice this all week on Friday we will have our walking test.” How absurd! No parent would ever do this. Babies learn from discovery, trial and error and their experiences. But when children reach school age, all their natural trying and discovery learning process is replaced with repetitive memorization and standardized lesson plans.

So why is unleashing that childlike potential – the discovery learning process -- so important in the workplace? For the same reason it’s important at OMA! Pixar allows creativity to, as president Ed Catmull says, “…come from where it comes from.” Remember… if you tell your employees what to do, they may forget; if you show them, they may remember; but if you involve them in the process, they learn and will reach creativity and performance levels that surprise even themselves.

Next Blog: Why collaboration is important in school and work.

The Pixar Book is Coming!

The Pixar book is coming soon!

You will learn how to animate your team and unleash their creative…The Pixar Way.

In Innovate the Pixar Way, we reveal how Pixar has reawakened the innovative spirit of Walt Disney. And, we explore how president Ed Catmull and chief creative officer John Lasseter and the rest of Pixar’s “brain trust” have built an organization on a simple philosophy, “Quality is the best business plan.” It makes no difference if you are making a movie that takes four years or serving a customer that takes four minutes, you have only chance to deliver that magical, magnetic, enchanting experience for your customer. We offer examples of how it’s done – and explain what it takes to get your people to achieve greatness by unleashing the power to dream like a child; believe in their playmates; dare to jump in the water and make waves; and do unleash their childlike potential.

We also share how Google, Griffin Hospital, Men’s Wearhouse, OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts) student achievement program, Nike, Target and the Internet shoe giant, Zappos unshackle their peoples’ imaginations and do outrageously great things. By getting your team to Innovate the Pixar Way you, too, can discover the magic that will help your business stay ahead of the competition, attract the best talent, and fatten the bottom line!

Pixar's Innovative Spirit

Pixar's innovation spirit will be forever linked to Walt Disney himself. Walt Disney once said, "Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination. But just as a muscle grows flabby with disuse, so the bright imagination of a child pales in later years if he ceases to exercise it." Truly creative people exhibit a level of enthusiasm for imagination and discovery that harkens back to the days of childhood. Indeed, innovation begins with a beginner's mind...this was true of Walt Disney, and is true of Pixar cofounder and president, Ed Catmull and Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter!

How Can we Adopt "Pixar Innovation"?

First and foremost is to begin with your story. Ask any Pixar employee what their secret to success is, and they will tell you, "The story is king." It doesn’t matter if you are making movies, manufacturing refrigerators, or selling hot dogs…you must have a story or a dream around which people can rally.

Collaboration is not an option if you want to be innovative. It’s about bringing people together who listen to one another and are truly interested in each other -- each one bringing a unique perspective to the table. Randy Nelson, Dean of Pixar University, describes collaboration as “a way to get a high-fidelity notion across to a broad range of people…" Now, that’s a great definition.

Collaboration is the heart of Innovate the Pixar Way!