Intersection #9 of 10: The ability to possess the mastery and toolbox of skills for successful execution.
By Mitch Praver (a.k.a. The CEO Magician, www.theceomagician.com)
The goal of good card magic (or any magic for that matter) is “to perform in such a manner that the most critical observer would not even suspect, let alone detect, the action.” – S.W. Erdnase, “The Expert at the Card Table”.
As we know, audiences are entertained by effects and illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means – with the emphasis on the illusion created by the magician, hopefully making the technique behind it invisible to the audience. That makes magic one of the only performing arts where the goal is to make the technical mastery invisible to the audience – despite how many hundreds or even thousands of hours the magician spent learning a specific sleight or sleights.
Despite this lack of bravado about the hundreds of hours magicians spent learning these sleights, this still requires having a full toolbox of sleights and techniques so strong that the magician has the flexibility to call for the “best” option, for the desired outcome, for the specific performing condition.
When it comes to card magic, the toolbox might contain the “best” version of:
The Top Palm, Jog Shuffle, Riffle Shuffle Control, Spread Cull, Force, False Overhand Shuffle, Double Turnover, False Count and False Deal. For coin magic, the toolbox would undoubtedly have The False Transfer, Retention Vanish, Fingertip Palm, Thumb Palm, Ramsey Subtlety, Edge Grip, and maybe a Back Clip. Mentalists, in their toolbox might have The Peek, The Psychological Force, Cold Reading, Billet Reading, Dual Reality and Nail Writing.
The same can be said for successful businesses, especially those creating innovative, breakthrough products. For these companies, it is critical to hire the best people who excel in the specific skills required for successful strategy implementation. Any gaps in required skills or any weak links in the skills chain can also lead to potential failure.
And, as they say, only A-level managers hire A-level employees.
The same can be said for successful businesses, especially those creating innovative, breakthrough products. For these companies, it is critical to hire the best people who excel in the specific skills required for successful strategy implementation. Any gaps in required skills or any weak links in the skills chain can also lead to potential failure. And, as they say, only A-level managers hire A-level employees.
● At Tesla, it’s just not just your standard automobile assembly car assembly. As a pioneering company in the electric vehicle industry, they require and value specific technical and software skills such as: a) Python programming, b) software engineering, Agile project management, Linux and C++, cooling and safety systems, environmental durability, motor design, energy storage systems, and dashboard UI design and human factors.
● At Disney, it’s no longer your typical movie studio; there is a strong emphasis on both creative and technical skills such as understanding the production processes and pipelines of CG Animation, VFX, or Video Game productions. This includes element production and shot production phases such as modeling, rigging, animation, layout, look development, and lighting/rendering, exposure to commercial graphics packages including Maya, Houdini, and Global Illumination Lighting packages, familiarity with the Linux or Unix operating system and an understanding of stereoscopic concepts and production processes.
I’ve held senior positions startup companies that had one thing in mind: to invent something that had not been previously possible:
● At Hillcrest Labs, a Maryland startup, the talented team there realized that to revolutionize the 64-button remotes and scrolling on-screen TV guides, they needed top-tier specialized skills to create the world’s first two-button, pointer-based remote control. The team needed to develop sophisticated senior fusion algorithms that combine data from multiple accelerometers and magnetometers for motion tracking, orientation estimation, and gesture recognition tied with a more intuitive and natural human interface for television.
In magic, magicians also need a toolbox of masterful skills – but magicians cannot possibly know everything there is to know about both the “show” and the “business” of show business – so the most successful magicians surround themselves with individuals who are better and smarter in other areas such as acting, scriptwriting, lighting, audio, choreography, Web design, marketing and sales. They build a team capable of maximizing the talent to achieve strong magic.
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