Think & Do

"The laws of Chess do not allow a free choice: you have to move like it or not" (Lasker)

   I firmly believe that chess is an effective and useful tool  in the preparation of a professional who aspires to be useful in their daily work. As commented in my presentation, i'm going to alternate posts with analysis and discussion , with other concepts in which try to relate both worlds (chess and businesses).

  In all lectures / courses that I have done on marketing or project management began in one way or another telling what a SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Threats-Opportunities), presenting it as a key element for the development of the we wanted to do. I can only agree ... if done right.

   In almost every analysis I have seen throughout my professional life, you tend to overestimate their own strengths, minimize competition, underestimate our weaknesses increasing competition one: the Business Case "have to go" because this is good and can not be stopped because the figures do not say it in Excel.

  Here we forget the objective assessments, we get carried away by our subjective and because we are pre-convinced of the result not wanting to see that we could be wrong, or at least is necessary to revise the approach.

  The analysis of a chess position not unlike virtually nothing of a SWOT analysis: see what's from the point of view of what our strengths and the weaknesses of the opponent to see where we have to attack, review the threats that we rival and tried to cover our weaknesses, and as the weight of each factor will make a move or another.

  Every player has fallen many times in the mistake of overestimating or underestimating the strengths of the opponent, and we have all lost a lot of games for this. The development of a player, among other things, is based on the ability to achieve the objective assessments in the playing positions

   Let's consider the chess board as our training camp to make SWOT analysis: working objectivity, the correct reading of the conditions and those of others, we can develop a "sixth" sense to find hidden threats and can fail to see where our seemingly good position. Finally, working our ability to search for opportunities, even in complicated situations where there seems to be nothing.

  All these points are important in itself, but I'm focusing on the last one personally think it's an important nuance.

  Chess forces you to think, but also to act, we can not "in pass" the move just because it doesn't ring the bell ... and on top you have limited time.

  Many times both in professional situations and in the derivatives of the game we were out of options, we were blocked with no ability to react to the situations. Like all,  imaginative capacity to find solutions and answers to complicated situations can be trained, you can work from the standpoint of constructive forces you to find "something".

  The problem is that in the office is playing "live fire" and be answered faster than we would like or need to find an answer yes or yes and if not used, often we do not know how to start looking.

  The best professionals that I've met are precisely those who could manage in these situations without blocking. There are many ways to prepare for this, and I think one of the best is just chess.

The original post was published in Spanish in my collaboration with the website Chesslive.com 

Why this blog?

  A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lao-Tse)

   Throughout the various inputs I'll try to show chess as a great model that is very useful for the understanding, development and application of a set of concepts and skills that have practical reflection in professional life. I will show that you musn't to be a chess grandmaster or a highly gifted intellectual to develop these concepts and to think how to apply in daily work.

    What we have to consider is the fact that separates amateur players and GMs, is how to internalize, to implement and coordinate  all of them... the same thing happens with the general principles of management and business administration.

    I've been a few years working in the private sector in different areas and levels of decision and am passionate about chess, sorry, but I'm not in the lists of GMs, or the TOP of the sport.

   When you think about the relationship of chess with the company, almost always arises chess from the point of view of strategy, intelligence, planning ... and yes, I agree that these are interesting points, but I think there is much more.

   From my point of view chess is a sport basically making: have to decide within a limited time between multiple options.

    In many cases it is not clear what is the best, you have to choose and execute that decision, facing the consequences thereof, both the right one as the wrong one, unable to excuse yourself in nothing: you are alone: yourself and your own capabilities. If you  think about this,  this concept implies many other ideas such as:

• The practical realization of your intellectual reasoning: here not work "I thought it well,  but other did it wrong," or conversely, "I did what I asked for, but it was a bad idea" (both approaches too common in business )
• Bearing the consequences: The chessboard is the only place where success or failure depends on only one
• Thinking and execute the next step without being able to say "my job ends here"
• "No decision" is forbidden

   All this leads to self-knowledge, eliminating excuses to face your own limitations, which usually takes the fight to overcome. Surely in companies whose professionals are governed by these principles is more efficient than one that builds relationships internal / external full of excuses and no self-criticism

    The businessman and Spanish GM Miguel Illescas in his great book JaqueMate speaks of different qualities that chess practice carries with it. (*) In this blog I'll develop some of these ideas and others who think they have a practical application within the company , giving examples that I hope will be of interest to the chess player to the professional who works in the company and does not know more than the basics (or nothing) about chess.

(*) NOTE: personal recommendation for the quality of the book, out of respect and admiration for the author, I receive nothing in advertising or any other concept.