Play your best game - and win

Melrose v Watertown Football Game 055-5x7,
a photo by Paul-W on Flickr.

It's your big day.  You have a presentation, or an important meeting.  You need not be a football player in the midst of the championship season to think about playing your best game - and winning.

The "best game" here doesn't mean the flawless execution of football.  It means play the game, do the thing, that you were born to do.  If you were born to speak in public, speak in public.  If you have a talent for strategy, strategize.  If you crack people up when you tell jokes, do that (of course with good human relations in mind!)

If you attempt to play the game that your competition plays and its not your best game, you will likely be at a disadvantage.  You will be an imitation and they will be the original.  Some companies compete on the basis of product, some on the basis of marketing, some on the basis of price, and some on distribution.  Individuals compete based upon intellect, interpersonal skills, credentials, connections, creativity, etc.  Go with your strengths.

Do you know what your talents are?  Do you know which is the appropriate stadium for you, and the uniform that gets you the best results?  If you're not sure of the answers, think back on a time or situation in which you were at your best.  You got outstanding results.  What type of task were you doing?  What methods were you using to accomplish the result you got?  Were you working alone, or in alliance with someone?  Were you using technology?  Were you leading or following?  Were you talking, or were you listening?  Or both?  Were you collaborating?  Once you identify yourself at your best, do more of it.

Going with your strengths doesn't mean that you ignore the other person.  If you are involved in a transaction in which the two of you need to partner, you will often win by helping them win.  Make them look good and help them achieve their goals and you are likely to earn a score on the board.

It is not necessary for someone else to lose in order for you to win.  The optimal situation is one where everyone can have their needs met.  In the business world, however, there are times when only one person racks up the highest score and carries the trophy home. 

Playing your best game might be a bit scary.  If you give it your all and despite your best efforts it doesn't work out the way you want, it can hurt.  But always remember that you will play again on another day - fear is not a good reason for not doing whatever you can right now.    Review your fundamentals.  Perhaps develop a few tricky (but legal) moves that will set your competition back on their heels as you breeze by toward your score.  But play YOUR best game.