Role Playing

I looked around the table. Everyone had taken their seats, arranged their materials and found the snacks. We had come together at the specified time to accomplish great things. Yup, another kick-off meeting was getting ready to roll. And then, suddenly (and without warning) it hit me. Déjà vu’ - I’d been here, or somewhere similar before.

What was it that was ringing this particular bell? Table, books, snacks, caffeine, dice. Wait, did I just say dice? Aha! This meeting felt just like one of my weekly Dungeon & Dragons sessions from high school (cue the 80’s music).

It all became clear. Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons had just died and it was in the news and on my mind. And, although I had never made the connection before, it suddenly became clear to me that, indeed, there was a strong link between success and RPGs (that’s role playing games to you non-nerds). And herewith, hangs my tale.

At THRIVE!, we talk a lot about the ingredients for success; clear goals, solid strategy, and collaboration. A good game of D&D can teach these skills (and maintain your virginity), so pull up a beanbag chair and get ready to roll those polyhedrons. I’ll try not to get too geek-core on you.

Party Time
The heart of the D&D system is the adventurer party. A balanced party achieves in-game success more easily, as special skills are required to achieve certain objectives. Mage, Warrior, Cleric and Thief are the archetypes within the game and each has their strengths and weaknesses. You couldn’t raid the storm giant’s castle with all thieves anymore than you can launch a successful business with all accountants (not to say that all thieves are accountants). You’ll need sales, marketing, and a cleric if you want that giant’s gold. It’s true.

Now, not everyone wants to play a Mage, or be the HR Director, and not everyone is suited to those roles. But here’s the cool part. Our party (business) also needs a Warrior out front battling Trolls (and scheduling press conferences). The point is, no matter your skill set or inclination, there’s a role for you to play as a part of a successful team.

Know The Rules
Sure, you can show up and play without any background information, but do your homework and you get much better. Did I obsessivly read the Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide? You bet I did. When my party faced off against a dragon I wanted to know the best tactics to use against it. And I could better balance the risk vs. reward. It was just due diligence on my part, don’t you think?

Show Up
We played every week, and if you missed a gaming session very bad things happened to your character. Things like:

Loss of Experience: When you’re not there, the other members of your party still gain experience. Miss too many sessions and you can no longer keep up with your colleagues.

Missed Clues: New storylines are introduced by the Dungeon Master every week. Miss the details and you miss out on team decision-making that can dramatically affect your chances for advancement.

Infighting and Politicking: If you’re not there to protect yourself, you can be stabbed in the back and left for dead. Alliances ebb and flow with the opportunities and rewards available.

Anyone else notice the similarities to real life?

My meeting wrapped, up, experience was awarded based on accomplishments and the paralllels kept on clicking. Thank you, Gary Gygax, for these simple rules for success. The fact that they were secretly bundled into a game about Elves makes it taste all the sweeter.

Be a good role player. Know the Rules. Show up and play. I raise my Vorpal Sword in salute.

KAED

Related Links

The Economist Obit of Gary Gygax
The Colbert Report Weighs In
NYTimes Op-Ed Piece on Geek Power

Quotes of the Week

"“The essence of a role-playing game is that it is a group, cooperative experience”"
- Gary Gygax

Coaching Quickie: Role Playing

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: Coffee Crusade
Which of the following coffee choices describes your current goal pursuits?

(20%) Venti Caffé Macchiato - I'm ready to rumble. Look out!
(60%) Grande Skinny Latte - I'm making good progress in a sensible way.
(20%) Tall Americano - I'm playing it safe right now. Nothing too flashy.
(00%) Frappuccino - My chances of success are rather frosty these days.

If you missed it, you can read last week's newsletter online here.