Have you ever been in an on-the-job training situation only to realize that it is really a test of your will to survive? Ok, maybe it was not that serious. But, every new situation we go into is a test of our tenacity, our will, and our ability to have the fortitude to strive in the unknown.
It is not just your situation to learn. But, it is quite likely an opportunity for someone else too. Think about those around you who might be in the same situation. Or, consider those who might be those are supervisors watching to see how you react. Nonetheless, playing other people’s games should be an opportunity observe and learn.
Without knowing it readily, your success or failure is really up to you. You have the opportunity to take the situation by the bullhorns, to manage the process, and make it work for you. Take a careful look at the pros, cons, and merits of what you need to learn and just jump in. If you don’t, then you are possibly setting yourself up for a longer learning curve.
Throwing your hands up in frustration is not an option. Good leaders always find a way to manage a problem or situation before it manages them. Take any well-known sports heroes and you will see that they take the time to assess most situations and then take action. Look at the recent National Football League playoffs where long-standing champion teams used playbooks from yesteryear and rallied for top placement. Sadly, former champion teams realized in the 2011 season that they were really playing someone else’s game.
Here are a few suggestions from my book Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success for those who want to take the lead while playing other people’s games:
1. Change you mindset. Play the game at hand not the one you did yesterday or before.
2. Stay aware. Be conscientious that the players and rules have likely changed.
3. Read between the lines. Take note that you have to stay informed about the obvious and the underlying motives, statements, and absences of input.
Learning to play other people’s games is an art form. Only by practicing steps repeatedly and learning from past mistakes will we ever learn to take charge while playing other people’s games.
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
