4 Lessons All Design Teams Must Learn From Dawn of the Planet of Apes

Team building isn’t about tracing the same lines which were defined years ago; it means learning from every other example that comes across and implementing it. One such example, in the recent times, has been the movie ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’. Besides showcasing the diminishing human population and talking apes, the flick touches upon several human sentiments beautifully, and team spirit is one of them. It aptly conveys the complex nature of groups, however small or big they are. And this makes it a lesson for all the design and development teams out there.

There’s a lot that teams can pick up from this heart-touching movie. Four such things are listed below:

1. One Team Doesn’t Translate into One Opinion

Being a part of the same team doesn’t necessarily mean that people will think on similar lines or agree on everything. And if you think so, all you are doing is causing harm to the creative process. Creativity can’t be forced. If you push someone into doing something which he/she is not willing to, you are breeding anxiety. And anxiety induces stress which, we all know, is the prime accused when it comes to killing creativity. Moreover, a stressed member will infect others with tension.

In the movie, some members from the ape family are ready for a dialogue with humans while others are reluctant. Similar is the case with humans. Finally, we see that the peace making process is stalled because team members from both the sides (apes and humans) are not convinced to have a dialogue.

Working with developers or designers who don’t speak their minds out can be a challenge. Everyone may say they agree on everything, but you know that can’t be true. So make sure everyone speaks their mind out. Encourage new team members to share their ideas. This is how your team will constantly improve.

2. It is never a Cakewalk for New People

A new member joining the team definitely causes some amount of unrest. Common thoughts within the team would range from ‘why has he joined the team?’ to ‘we were doing well without him’. Obviously, everyone would want to protect their own interests. Plus, the current structure is more comfortable for them.

The new guy, as a matter of fact, will feel aloof for some time. We all did. He/she will speak little in team meetings, and if at all he/she speaks, the opinions will be brushed off by other team members. In the flick, younger apes simply comply with the orders of the ape in charge, even when he orders them to death. This is because they think they have no right to deny him.

A great team isn’t just about the leader. Everyone’s opinion should be heard and counted.

3. Where there is Change, there is Unrest

Going back to point 2, even a change as small as someone joining the team can cause unrest. This becomes clearer when we take the instance of Ceaser’s tribe from the movie. The apes have been living in a world of their own until humans appear on the scene, which obviously causes turbulence. Ceasar allows humans to enter the territory and work on the hydroelectricity project, but Koba is unhappy with this. The idea of living in peace with humans is alien to him.

When you are working with a large team, introducing a new concept is a challenge. You can’t do so without disappointing a few people. It has also been proven by science. We readily reject factors which change our existing societal structure. No one wants change. It’s a universal fact.

4. Every Team Member has a Vested Interest

Initially we felt that Koba’s loyalty belonged to Ceasar, but as the movie progresses and his loyalty is put to test, we find that all this while Koba has been acting in his best interest. All he did was just for himself.

Passion comes above all. Well, this is senseless and never happens. People don’t work for you, they work for themselves. By nature, people are made for themselves. This is why, it is best to hire people who hold the same set of values as you. Build a team that shares the same goal.

Conclusion

One golden rule every team must be mindful about: communication is the key. A team which communicates well performs better than the rest. Like Ceasar and Malcom, you too will realize that good communication takes you a long way.