game, game. repeat.

The +1-1=0 Game vs the 1+1=4 Game

I suspect that if you take a somewhat random group of human beings and ask them to organize themselves in order to allocate work and limited resources, most of the time they will find themselves playing a zero sum game with each other. I call it the +1-1=0 game.

The other game to be played is the 1+1=4 game. It’s the game of abundance, of creating a bigger pie, of win-wins that benefit everyone. It’s a lot harder to pull off. It requires leadership and shared culture (which also requires leadership). Our modern society is evidence it can be done.

Which game are you playing? At work? With your spouse? Which game is your boss playing? Your boss’s boss?