I'm tired of seeing companies use a chess motif to adorn their strategic plan
or used in consulting practices! Chess has got to be one of the worst visual
images used to depict business strategy.
Sure there’s strategy involved in a game of chess, but to compare it
with serious business strategy is a big stretch. Before you dismiss this perspective, let me
explain.
When people use the chess metaphor in strategy, they are
creating artificial boundaries around the field of play, and more times than
not, the other players aren’t willing to play by your rules. Remember playing games growing up when you set
the rules in advance (say a game of tag where areas were declared out of
bounds). Unless you were absolutely sure
that everyone agreed to your rules, there was no way of forcing people to play
exactly as you wanted them to. How did
you feel when in the middle of the game, someone ‘cheated’ by breaking your
rules? Sure, you could try to toss them
out of the game, throw a temper tantrum, or place a penalty on them, but did it
really change the outcome? In business,
it’s normal for companies to run out of bounds to reach the objective and in
most cases, they’re not playing by your rules in the first place and it’s
usually perfectly legal and ethical.
So next time you’re tempted to find some nifty chess motif
for your strategic plan or in some way associate your consulting practice with
the game, think about what message you’re subtly sending. Are you someone who intends on playing just
one kind of game and willing to live within the boundaries set by the board and
the rules, or do you chose instead to create your own game?
At Connect2Action, we work to help our clients understand
the entire board of play and craft a strategic approach tailored to their
unique needs and circumstances – developing the board and setting the rules of
play. So start playing your game and
leave the chess to those less creative.
Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action, a strategy
execution specialist at the intersection of employee engagement and executive
leadership, igniting innovation as a lever to accelerate your growth. Follow Duane on Twitter @connect2action and
connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+. Learn more by visiting
www.connect2action.com.
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