Winner yesterday? Your game plan may not work in the future

Recently my partner Darren and I were playing Monopoly with my son, Oliver.

Things began well. We were all buying properties, putting houses on the board, collecting rent, and so on. It was a relaxing Saturday night activity.

Rolling the dice to his advantage Oliver had a competitive fire in his eyes as he engaged in a scorched earth strategy to wipe us off the board.

I was about to go bankrupt. Darren was hanging on by a thread. The game was going to be over in a flash.

Darren asked Ollie: “Why don’t you make some deals with us so that we can all keep playing the game?”

Oliver said: “Why would I do that? I want to win!”

Darren replied: “But then the game is over, and the only person around the table who’ll be happy is you. Winning at all costs is not always the best strategy.”

Ollie smashed us and that was the end of the game.

He did think about what Darren had said to him though.

On reflection, Ollie admitted that the game was over too soon. Perhaps the behaviour that usually made Ollie successful in playground games isn’t necessarily going to work in a family game of Monopoly. Ollie learned that he probably still could have won that game and kept us engaged at the same time, instead of leaving us in his wake. Then, Darren and I would be more inclined to play Monopoly with him again in future.

Sometimes in work and life, when things get hectic of stressful, we lean on the same old tactics to get things done, and then we’re surprised or disappointed when we don’t get the outcome we want. We operate in isolation, instead of remembering we’re part of a bigger system.

If this is happening to you, stop and reflect on these three things:

• Mindset. Are you taking the time to learn about yourself? What thoughts could be helping or hindering your professional progress?

• Behaviour. Are you clear about what you want to achieve? If so, are you taking action in the right areas?

• Influence. Are you credible in your dealings with key people? How does your professional style affect the way you’re perceived?

Setting aside time to focus on your mindset, behaviour and influence through executive coaching is a lot like learning to play a smarter game of Monopoly. With discipline and practice, over time you’ll become more resilient and curious to try new ways of doing things. Above all, you’ll make an impact. The game will be more satisfying and you won’t be the only winner.

I’m a certified executive coach, helping leaders be the best they can be, for themselves and the people they serve. If you’re interested in executive coaching, get in touch.