For the past 15+ years at the d.school, Stoked, and my coaching practice, I’ve helped clients play a bigger game. By bigger I don’t just mean scale and revenue. I mean more thoughtful, engaged, and meaningful. Not just adhering to the status quo.
Playing a bigger game might be about work, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s about how we show up for our work, for others, and for ourselves.
I’m also using the word play very intentionally. We all remember what it feels like to play, even if it’s been a while. Play makes everything more fun, and in this one short life we have, why not have fun?
I’ve been wary of using that language for fear of being perceived as unprofessional. But play is the action and attitude that brings about some of my best work—both in ideation and execution. Stuart Brown’s research shows that adults who engage in play are more creative problem-solvers, better at collaboration, and more resilient under stress.
So I’m clarifying my focus: Helping People Play a Bigger Game.
How do we do that?
It starts with dissatisfaction. If you’re comfortable with the way things are, you’re unlikely to let go of comfort and move toward the discomfort that change requires. As Adam Grant notes that people who recognize they’re not thriving (but aren’t in crisis) are most likely to make meaningful changes.
Once you’re sick of the status quo and ready for something new, the next step is finding a game you want to play. Some people want something entirely new—bigger and bolder than what they’ve done before. Others want to take what they’re already doing and do it differently or better.
Bigger is defined by the individual. But I find it helpful to have an objective person in my life to help me get out of low orbit and into high orbit. When I’m mired in details, I can’t see the forest for the trees. An outside perspective helps me break out of that well-worn groove.
Once we’ve identified the game, what does playing look like? Trying, experimenting, staying open to learning from each move. Play is non-judgmental and happens over time. It’s not about “playing” once and having something solid to show. It’s patience and persistence. And it’s fun.
Like any good athlete knows, you don’t show up once and expect mastery. You train. You practice. You learn from what works and what doesn’t.
There should be laughter and a sense of wonder. I wonder if…
Playing a bigger game requires personal development, spiritual practice (whatever that means to you), and business savvy. It’s doing the work while keeping your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds.
But don’t mistake playfulness for ease. This kind of play requires effort. Chop wood, carry water. Letting go of our old ways of showing up and embracing scary, untested new ones requires something different of us. Something brave and courageous. A vulnerability we may not have accessed before.
Just as in athletics, playing a bigger game requires a level of fitness. But if you’re ready, the price is well worth the entry.