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 Features
Becoming a Stellar Games Industry Manager, Part 1: Building a Great Team
 Want To Build a Great Game? Build a Great Team First
If I could solve all the problems myself, I would. --
Thomas Edison, when asked why he had a team of twenty-one assistants
So you’ve got this fantastic idea for a totally cutting-edge game that does all this cool stuff and should make you boatloads of money. It sounds great but … are you planning to build this all by yourself? Even if you’re a one-person production house who can survive on huge amounts of caffeine and absolutely no sleep, it’s really not a great way to get things done. Assuming you could do it all, you’ll be too trashed to enjoy the results of all that work!
The solution to your dilemma is a four-letter word:
T-E-A-M.
What's a Team?
Team: A group organized to work together.
(www.dictionary.com)
A team is a group of people working together to achieve a goal, which can be anything from winning the World Series to creating the newest FPS. At its best, a team uses a ton of mad skills to come up with (hopefully cost-effective) non-traditional solutions that give their company a major edge on the competition. At its worst, it’s a bottomless pit with the potential to sink the company ship forever.
While there’s no single rule about when to use a team, certain situations seem to lend themselves better than others:
- the task is too complex for one person to handle
- the solution requires a wider range of skills than once person can provide
- the results have potentially significant consequences for the entire company
- the resources need to be maximized (business-speak for limited budget)
Successful team building and management is probably a manager’s most difficult – and potentially most rewarding – challenge.
What's Teamwork?
Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. – Andrew Carnegie
All teams need the same things: effective leadership, positive motivation, achievable goals and excellent communication in an open, supportive and mutually respectful environment. In other words, team members have to be able to work and play well with each other. Building a team is like building anything else (including games) -- the best plan in the world won’t survive without a solid foundation. The stronger the plan and the more positive the environment, the more successful your team will be.
What Makes a Good Team?
Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part. – Casey Stengel
There’s no “magic number” of people required for a successful team (other than more than one). Whether you have two people or 200, the team’s shape is far more important than its size. Finding people with basic skills is important but getting people with the right mix of skills is crucial if you want to succeed.
Look for team members who posses demonstrated experience in at least one of the three major skill types (and yes, more is better!):
- Technical expertise in specific disciplines (i.e., engineering, marketing, programming, etc.)
- Solid problem-solving skills
- Ability to make clear decisions in a group
- Ability to take responsibility for their own actions
- Ability to grow in their role and help the team grow
- Good interpersonal skills and flexibility
- Demonstrated commitment to team work
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