Every year (except last year – thanks to Corona), one of our customers organizes a manager meeting attended by first and second level employees. This year, the meeting took place again and we had the opportunity to organize a day there for the third time.
The program was a mixture of intercultural seminar and team workshop. But at every meeting we played the XY game. You don’t know it? It’s quite simple:
The game
We formed 3 groups, each of which received two cards. One card had an X on it, the other a Y. Each group had 1 minute to discuss which card they would then raise. Of course, the groups could only exchange ideas with each other. The joke of this game is that points are awarded depending on which combination of cards is held up.
- 3 X – All lose 10 points
- 2 X and 1 Y – X wins 10 points each, Y loses 20 points
- 1 X and 2 Y – X wins 20 points, Y loses 10 points
- 3 Y – All win 10 points
A total of 10 rounds were played. In rounds 5, 8 and 10, each group was able to appoint a representative. These representatives were able to exchange ideas for 1 minute before everyone returned to their group, which then had another minute to make a decision. The points from this round also counted several times:
- Round 5 triple
- Round 8 fivefold
- Round 10 tenfold
The aim of the game was as follows: Win as high as you can.
The trick, of course, is for everyone to keep Y as high as possible. Then everyone wins, namely all teams together, and a maximum of 750 points can be scored. The joke is, of course, that everyone interprets the goal differently. But even then, the groups have the opportunity to come to an agreement, whereby it is up to each group to decide whether they will follow the agreements, if they have been made.
The result
As this was not the first time we had played this game, there was one player in each group who knew both the game and the objective. We were excited to see how it would turn out. And surprised!
- Not once were three Ys held up
- There were agreements between the representatives, but they were broken by at least one group each time
- The explanations of those “in the know” had little or no influence on the decisions
In the end, there was one team with the most points, but the overall result was minus 60!
In case you are interested, the results the first time were plus 430, the second time even minus 180. Interestingly, the first time only the first management level was present, while the second and third time the second level was also present.
The interpretation
You don’t have to be an astrophysicist to understand the point of the game. Moreover, you didn’t have to be, as there was someone in every group who could explain it. We were very surprised and not a little puzzled by the outcome of the game. That says a lot about how the group sees itself and how it cooperates. In this respect, the game showed that there was considerable room for improvement. Fortunately, everyone was able to prove in a subsequent project that they can work together after all. This smoothed the waters a little.
Communication and trust – the key to business success
Translated into a business context, the result of the game meant that instead of a big win, a small loss was made. That doesn’t have to be the case. And if you object that it was just a game and the reality is completely different, I have to disappoint you. It is not uncommon to find fierce internal competition in companies. When I once worked for a financial services provider, the solution to all problems was either financing or leasing, depending on who you spoke to. And they were all right. Because they were paid to sell their products, not to maximize joint profits! Clearly, both camps resented each other.
The conclusions are clear:
- Communication is the key – you have to talk to each other, otherwise nothing will work!
- Trust is the second key – without trust you work against each other, even when you communicate
- Incentives must be designed accordingly so that communication and trust pay off for everyone – otherwise you have one winner, but everyone is a loser in the end
Communication and trust can be created
Both are things that don’t just fall from the sky, even if many managers would like them to or take them for granted. You have to be able to communicate objectives and provide employees with the means to achieve them. Last but not least, everyone should benefit! Even the individual.
There are many ways to raise awareness of this. Because it all starts with awareness. Global Cultures and Global Leaders can help companies to create this awareness. That is the beginning. And we can support you in taking the next steps. Interested? Get in touch with us. As Henry Ford once said: “Of course I check all offers. It could be the deal of a lifetime!”
