CREATIVE FOCUS – DISNEY IMAGINEERS—STUDY GUIDE
1) Why we choose Disney Imagineers.
 Everyone knows Disney! It is a household name.
 They have been producing a successful and continually innovative
product for over 60 years.
 They are one of the most well-known story tellers – who have created
more than a story but completely immersive experiences.
 They are a diverse and talented group including engineers, writers,
architects, graphic designers, animators, and show designers from all
around the world.
 The team that Disney has created constantly comes up with new ideas
on how to improve, change and impact lives of so many people around
the world.
2) Why they were characterized as a peak performing group or team?
 This team meets the criteria cited by Katzenbach and Smith
 It is a team that works together to accomplish a common goal.
 This team perfectly characterizes this with their blend of scientists and
artists working together in harmony to accomplish their goals.
 They have a purpose
 They break everything they are trying to accomplish into small
reasonable tasks,
 They have the right expertise and have a synergy there for
accomplishing their goals.
 The Walt Disney Website describes this team as “unique blend of art
and science work in more than 100 disciplines”
3) The leadership principles, methods, and tactics used to facilitate the group to
move to the high performing stage (the development of synergy).
•
Key principles of the imagineers;
 Imagineering is a form of storytelling
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CREATIVE FOCUS – DISNEY IMAGINEERS—STUDY GUIDE
 Brainstorming
 Detail is crucial
 Kinetics
 Don’t give up on a good idea
 Fulfill specific needs
 “Blue sky” speculation process whereby Imagineers bring into
existence great ideas having no limitations.
 Keep plussing (Striving for Perfection)
 This group focuses on diversity on multiple disciplines in order to
give the best product.
 Value philanthropy and bettering the future generations (Project
Imaginations)
 “When they can’t find something they need they invent it”
 Retired Disney Imagineer Marty Sklar “Mickey’s Ten
Commandments” - “The Leader’s Bible”
4) What characterized the team during the different stages of development?
 The Imagineers are responsible for the construction and development of
the Disney theme parks globally.
 This team already has completed the Forming stage and typically
fluctuates between the Storming stage (coming up with new ideas and
pitching them) to the Performing stage (where they debut those ideas at
Disney).
 The guiding principles demonstrate how they work through the different
stages; they brainstorm for ideas (without limit), pitch and explore each
and every idea, and even if an idea does not originally work they
eventually return to it and reimagine it again.
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CREATIVE FOCUS – DISNEY IMAGINEERS—STUDY GUIDE
5) What characterized the team’s performance in its highest performing state?
 Everyone knows Imagineering for their specialization in AudioAnimatronics
 They have been granted over 115 patents with respect to areas including
special effects, ride systems, interactive technology, fiber optics, live
entertainment, and advanced audio systems.
 systematic advancement in the Circle Vision 3600 film technique,
 Fast-Pass virtual queuing system.
NOTES
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