Lucy Bradshaw is a Senior VP at Electronic Arts. Maybe you haven’t heard of Lucy, but you’ve definitely heard of the games she’s behind: The Sims and Spore. Last November, Fast Company ran a great interview with her that is really inspiring. When you listen to her speak, you can feel the love she has for the product she develops and the passion she has for doing it in a playful, collaborative way.

Here are some of the key take-away points from Lucy’s interview:

• She’s extremely concerned with creating a work environment that is conducive to a highly collaborative and very creative experience and expression. We all should be. Too often work environments can be stifling. Open up and let the creativity flow.
• Have the conviction to believe that people have something to contribute.  It’s up to you to figure out a way of bringing the best out of your people. Ask yourself continually “How can I help that person be the best they can be?” And more than that, understand that everyone from the front desk receptionist to a senior VP all have something to contribute.
• Pay your dues and work your way up. Lucy started out without an art or software development background. But she found what she was passionate about, worked hard at getting there and has ended up working her way to a job she loves.
• The most Lucy has ever learned came from letting people touch what her and her team were making and learning from them. Exposing your ideas to the outside world for criticism is always the best way to learn. Don’t keep them to yourself. Air them out, get feedback. And use the feedback to learn from and to make constructive changes to your ideas and products. No one person knows all the answers.
• Always always always keep learning.  Lucy says that “For me, this job is one of those things that’s just continually intriguing. You’re always learning.” Continually intriguing! I love that idea. What if every day you thought your job was continually intriguing? How good would it feel to wake up every morning anticipating the intrigue and learning experience that awaited you at work? It’s probably there…sometimes we just forget to look for it.