View, browse and sort the ever-growing list of sessions by day, pass type, topic, and format. With this Session Viewer, you can view GDC 2023 session details and speakers, and share your favorites via social media. You will be able to build your schedule and access it during the show via export or Mobile App, once live. Sessions do fill up and seating is first come, first serve, so arrive early to sessions that you would like to attend.
Grant Shonkwiler (Commander & Shonk, Shonkventures)
Erika Olsen (Senior Producer, Xbox Game Studios Publishing)
Richard Atlas (CEO, Clever Endeavour Games)
Roger Collum (Vice President, Total War, Creative Assembly)
Carolina Mastretta (Co-Founder & Studio Lead, Original Fire Games)
Location: Room 2006, West Hall
Date: Thursday, March 23
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass
Topic: Production & Team Leadership
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
Project management methodologies and processes in the video game industry have been analyzed ad nauseam, often sold as production cure-alls. While these mechanics of game production are important, there's another critical facet that has been explored far less: The emotional and elusive feel of being a great leader, producer, and/or project manager. Once processes are in place, in order to maintain the health of a project the leader must have their finger firmly on the pulse of the team, and be able to diagnose situations that often call for drastically different solutions.
In this session, we will investigate facets of soft skills and share specific situations that we have encountered throughout our careers, and how soft skills have saved the team and shipped awesome games. Topics include: bringing your whole self as a leader to the table, building, sustaining and repairing trust within our teams, compassionate leadership, production and leadership from the producers' perspective, and accepting that mistakes will be made.
Attendees will gain an increased knowledge and understanding of how to use the soft skills a leader has, and how focusing on their team will make their games more successful. This will be covered through practical examples and discussion.
This is for leaders with 4+ years experience in the games industry. It will also be valuable for new leaders/producers/project managers and disciplinary leads.