I still have residual excitement lingering from the recent office hours between Tom and Tommaso Rivellini. It was like watching A-grade engineering theatre sports: two of my favourite things, combined.
When I was working my way though ‘formal’ studies, I was always too much of a nerd to ditch class. So, at the start of each semester, I would juggle my timetable around so I could catch theatre sports at the bar. Looking back on it, those Theatre Sports Tuesdays were probably the best way I could learn about teamwork and brainstorming.
The really good theatre sport teams – the A-grade ones – are always following three subtle rules:
Don’t block: When Sachs was describing the surface composition of Vestas, Rivellini didn’t block. Even if he disagreed, he didn’t argue back. Instead, he leant into the new information and worked with it: “I’ve heard the surface of Vestas is made of plywood.”
Always retain focus: The whole time Sachs and Rivellini were focused on the mission – collecting a sample of Vestas and returning it safely to the Earth. There will always be tangents and distractions, but both Rivellini and Sachs were constantly nudging things back to the primary mission.
Don’t try to outshine: Tom and Tommaso weren’t competing to have their own ideas carry the most weight. They were always ‘passing’ – creating space for the other to deploy their expertise.
Well played good sirs. Well played.
Originally written for the Sachsian Syndicate.
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