We all have our guilty pleasures.
One of mine is playing video games. While I’ve played everything from an Atari
to an XBOX 360, my favourite platform has always been the PC.
I don’t have much free time, but
when I do, I mostly play complex first-person shooters with great 1-player
campaign modes. Playing team games online is an exercise in frustration. I am
not very good, and getting screamed at by a 12-year-old boy from Hoboken isn’t
my idea of fun.
Video games can be as immersive and
deep as any novel. I recently finished playing Tom Clancy’s “The Division” and
I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, the story and the gameplay.
Many of the Sherpas also are PC
gamers. Recently, some of them connected through our company Slack channel and
determined that many of us play Blizzard’s Overwatch independently and that it
might be fun to get together to play as a team.
This past week we all connected to play for a couple
of hours.
It was lots of fun. All through the
game, the business part of my brain was whirring between capturing hard points
and escorting payloads. We plan to keep meeting to play online for the
foreseeable future.
So what did I learn?
1. TEAMWORK
When the group
decided it wanted to “win”, people were unselfish and worked as a cohesive
group to meet the game’s objectives. This meant regrouping, advancing slowly
and working as one formidable weapon. Cooperation, communication and actions
are immediate and actionable. Working closely together for short bursts of time
with virtual bullets flying is mandatory when in a crucible of pressure.
2. INDIVIDUALITY
Everyone has
their own strengths and weaknesses and plays to those accordingly in a game. As
a manager, I need to recognize that flair and make sure that I am in tune with
those strengths and weaknesses.
3. STRATEGY
You can whip up a
pretty decent strategy in 3 minutes, but somebody does need to take the lead.
In online gaming, somebody might be better at a particular map or know which
character is ideal for the task at hand. In this environment, it’s a pretty
egalitarian approach. Everyone has a voice, and because there’s a time limit,
we don’t get a chance to overthink things. We either succeeded quickly or
failed fast.
4. LEVEL PLAYING GROUND
Online
and after hours, I am not the boss. While gaming, my staff were more
comfortable telling me what to do, making suggestions and even making fun of
me. It’s refreshing for me not to be in a position of power. Playing the game,
I am not even close to the best in our group (that’s Jake, Noah and Jessica). I
get to defer to them, feed them information and let them formulate a plan.
Gaming, even though it’s in a virtual world, removed the barriers placed by
title, experience and the org chart. I felt more part of the team and I think
it helped the employees see that I am not that different than they are.
5. WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING
Sometimes it’s just fun to try new things (like different characters) and see
how it turns out. Being reckless and “running and gunning” can be as much fun
as cooperating and achieving the objective as a team. This wasn’t life or
death. No getting fired, no deadlines, no budgets, just 8-12 minutes of mayhem.
6. GEOGRAPHY DOESN'T MATTER
Of
the six of us that played, 3 were from our Ontario office and three were from
Manitoba. This was a great way to bring our group together after hours. We got
to know each other a bit better and build relationships. When you have
employees spread across the country, online gaming is a great way to meet in
one place, talk and have some fun without the expense of a hotel and a plane
ticket.
I would encourage any manager to
have a keen ear for conversations at work. If a few people play video games, it
might be a great opportunity to team build and to build better relationships
with their colleagues.
And if you ever play Overwatch, keep an eye out for us, we are a formidable team
(when we decide we want to play to win!).
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