One realisation I’ve come to early on as a servant leader, is that sometimes I’m forced to choose between serving and leading. Never am I able to achieve all I’ve set out to do in the time I want it done, and so, sacrifices must be made. Failure to make that choice means that I am being a reactive manager rather than a proactive one, solving problems in a never-ending game of whack a mole - More likely than not, you will end up with some of these moles whacking you on the head, or in an exhausted pile with them mockingly popping up next to you.
As a manager, I dislike being reactive because it means I don’t get to think ahead, or look at the big picture. It often happens when I am overwhelmed, and fail to push back and say “I am not going to deal with this right now.” Being proactive is not just about anticipating what’s to come, it also gives you perspective on cost-benefit equations, which means you have an easier time deciding whether the right call is to focus on what’s in front of you, or to zoom out.
On its surface, a card drafting game might look like a totally reactive experience - you get a bunch of cards, choose between them, and move on. That is a rather simplistic view that I don’t feel applies to games like 7 Wonders.
The reason for that is that every choice boils down to one of two things -
Which of these choices will net me the most points at the end of the game?
Which of these choices is going to make other hands I get during the game more attractive to me?
The art of the game is understanding which of these questions you should be answering at any given moment. If you only ever try to answer the first one, you are being completely reactive, and will definitely end up with no good options somewhere down the line, because your infrastructure will not allow you to do the things you actually want. Simply put, at certain times, producing resources for short term benefits(opportunities over victory points) is better than scoring a few extra points at the end of the game.
Being proactive means making decisions that make sure you can make better decisions down the road. That requires experience and understanding of the space you are operating in. 7 Wonders constantly faces you with choices between a fixed amount of points, a variable amount of points that may or may not be greater than the fixed amount, and the ability to purchase resources cheaply from your neighbor. Each a valid choice, depending on the stage it is taken.
It’s not easy making the call between long and short term benefits. More often than not, without some mathematical model that converts effort to business value, comparison is not really possible. Rather, to deftly make this call, you don’t need to understand the relationship between two opportunities, but between these opportunities and potential other opportunities that may present themselves down the line.
This balance between keeping an eye on the future while not losing sight of the immediate needs I must cater for is probably something I’ll spend the rest of my career trying to figure out. Without a vision to direct the team towards I’m simply a coordinator and a bottleneck. When I get too ambitious and lose sight of the here and now, I’m putting the team at risk and I fail my task of shielding them from noise by producing it myself. I feel like a good leader when I know when to stop and dream, and when to put my head down and commit, living with the pain of lost opportunities, but delivering results.
Scoring time
Our journey with drafting games, and 7 Wonders in particular, is done. I hope to revisit this mechanic in the future with different games, but for now, we can take pride in the little empires we’ve built, and the story our decisions have told.
In this series, I did my best to highlight how a simple box with less than 200 cards holds excruciating dilemmas that have prepared me for my work as a manager. I experimented, made mistakes, and agonized over choices many a time with this elegantly designed game, and I have evolved in the company of my friends. I can only hope my musing has inspired you to do the same.
Before wrapping up each series, I will from now on recommend other games that use similar mechanics that could not be covered here, but taught me even further:
Bunny Kingdom - This lighthearted game makes choices slightly less excruciating by letting you draft two cards instead of one every round, but don’t be fooled. It twists things up by letting you turn what appears to be a useless choice now into a valuable one down the line.
It’s a Wonderful World - In a way, this is a more streamlined version of 7 wonders with a bit more interplay. It lets you recycle the cards you’ve drafted into resources to build other cards, and it’s over before you know it. Prepare for even tougher choices.
Bargain Quest - Not exactly a classic card drafting game, here you draft wares to put on display so you can attract heroes into your shop and make a buck as you provide them with the best equipment to protect the town with. It’s good fun for all ages.
Until next time, remember that playful growth is healthy growth, no matter how old you are!