It’s not the Uno game.
When we play card games, we act strategically as if we were the ruler of a country. Because there is always only one winner in games. And if we want to win, we have to play well. As you will agree, when we start a game, the first thing that comes to mind is the idea of winning. Everyone puts forward their talent, luck, and intelligence. Of course, we cannot deny the game's fun, but deep down, we all prefer to be at the top when the game is over. When the game starts, all the players put their cards in the middle, one after another. Everyone tries to make moves that will bring them points according to the game's rules. Remembering up to 5 or 10 previous moves, choosing which cards to throw away, and perhaps calculating what cards the other players may have in their hands requires real effort.
Imagine this: you are a bison walking around the big forest with your fellas. On this beautiful jungle stroll, you turn your head to the right and see a lion. A matter of life and death. Your brain’ll say: run! A fear starts to release in your body, and your blood pressure increases. Cortisol levels increase just like when you feel your life is in danger. This is a fight-or-flight moment. In the Uno game, you seem like you are fighting.
Sometimes, I feel like I am in the middle of a game of Uno. Does this happen to you, too? I feel like I have to record every move made and use this information at the right time when the time comes. When I am in a conversation, when I actually want to solve a problem, the words of the person in front of me fall on the table like the Uno card. And I don’t know what to do at such moments because I don’t have any cards in my hand. I’m not playing games. Even if you imagine yourself in a game where you feel you must win, my goal is not to play games. Not to fight. Put aside your strategy, forget what was said before, and stop thinking about your next move because I’m not going to make a move. All I want is to communicate with you. I’m talking about honest communication, a dialogue, by the way.
Yes, we all are different and have various thoughts. But there will be neither the Uno game nor a fight-or-flight moment at work. The most important thing I have learned about work life recently is that it doesn’t matter what kind of team member you are right now. Whether you are the one who raises the bar, the fastest on the team, or just the person who does what comes their way and doesn’t add anything extra, it doesn’t matter what your work ethic is at the moment T, how enthusiastic you are, or how you do things. Your ability to adapt to the new working conditions you will find yourself in after matters. In other words, how flexible you are. Don’t be a drama queen, don’t play games. Let’s talk and understand each other. This is the only way to create impact.
