TETRIS teaches Daily Accountability
Posted: September 5, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Book, Daily Accountability, Decisions, Game, Lean Leave a commentPlay Tetris to Set-up your mind for Daily Check-in Meetings
We cannot say which is more dreaded, anxiety caused by the relentless nature of the block-stacker Tetris or the anxiety felt when peppered with unanticipated questions at the daily huddle meeting. Consider using Tetris as a training ground “to think on your feet” and “to deal with what you can do.”
When Tetris debuted, rules were not yet written for this game.
Tetris presents a piece and you have to fit it into your tableau that is already succumbing to the forces of entropy. When you have a “left hand z” and you really need “right hand L”, those are the times that you decide: “find a spot for it and use the next piece to deal with it.”
This is a situation not unlike project management. For every evening when you go home with a clear desk and the hope that the project is finally “on track”, there is a morning where the project presents a new problem “we have never seen before.” Having a mind that quickly explores options can help.
- Put the Piece to the side: What can we do right away to contain this problem?
- Find a less problematic placement: What can we do to make things better?
- Identify a future piece: What can we do in the future?
When you don’t Win at Tetris, Tetris gets you into Winning shape.
Tetris is like the Terminator:
- It never gives up.
- It never gets tired.
- It will always win.
The relentless nature of the game purifies the mind as it is stressed to its limits.
I had always thought that the game was some sort of subversive reminder of the defeatist attitude from the old USSR. Three decades later, I understand the game to represent Hope.
Every time the game defeated me, I had hope that I could win the next round because:
- “I know more now.”
- “I will be smarter next time.”
- “I won’t let that happen again.”
Read the Graphic Novel cum biography by Box Brown, Tetris.
This Categorical Rating Tool can help you make complex decisions.
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Decisions Leave a commentSet-up a simple spreadsheet to make a complicated choice.
Let’s say that you want to make a choice. The choice is not like “Tapioca or chocolate pudding?” which is a choice between two options that relies on one factor, taste. Let’s say that the choice is from among a variety of options, and you need to rate them on more than two criteria; so the tic-tac-toe method will not work. How do you do that?
There is a way if you don’t mind a little spreadsheet (I already formatted it) and you can make some decisions up front. Read the rest of this entry »
Which is Better? Deciding between two options with slightly asymmetrical criteria.
Posted: August 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Decisions, Game Leave a commentSet-up your choice box like Tic-Tac-Toe
Let’s say that you want to make a choice. The choice is not like “Tapioca or chocolate pudding?” which is a choice between two options that relies on one factor, taste. Let’s say that the choice is from among a variety of options, and you need to rate them on two criteria. How do you do that?
For decisions such as this, you can use a quick tic-tac-toe grid. Read the rest of this entry »