Lessons from brick breaker

I smiled because it really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the lessons to be learnt from the game. “Of course, it’s about strategy!” I replied. He nodded.

In this Blackberry generation, I am certain I am not the only business person to use any in-between time (on the train, in a line, in the airport, on a hospital bed) to dabble a bit with Blackberry’s Brick Breaker. At first it was merely to pass what I call the in-between time. That time when it’s not going to be long enough to do anything worth starting. Then it became a game about strategy, about beating the odds and building up the rewards.

Essentially, at its simplest, the game is about reaching to the highest level, gaining the most points before your life span expires. You are given three “lives” to start. The game becomes interesting as you move to higher levels because you receive different surprise “gifts” or “tools” that can help you advance faster to the next level, grant you additional lives or increase your points-earning potential — At least that it how it appears on the surface.

It is in the analysis of the game that the analogy between the objectives of the game and tenets of business strategy becomes apparent.

The key lesson to be learned is to always, always, keep your eyes on the goal; in the case of Brick Breaker it would be the ball. Like Brick Breaker, as an entrepreneur, business may start off small and fairly simple in its operations.

As operations move along, you will be faced with choices. Brick Breaker gives you myriad choices as you work through the game. In fact, as a novice you may be inclined to chase after all the choices at the same time. Once you do this you inadvertently become confused and lose sight of the ball — your goal — and the game comes to a quick end. In business this will manifest itself in over-extension, the inability to complete any one project to the highest quality, confused staff and reduced productivity.

As you gain more experience, in business and in the game, you become more discerning and learn which choices to make that would provide a better long-term return whether in points or investment.

In order to destroy the bricks in the game; what I would equate to the challenges in business, you are given tools. You are given points for acquiring each tool; however some tools are more effective than others.

Others can even bring an immediate end to the game if you do not understand how to use them. In fact, in business, these may represent the introduction of inappropriate technology, untrained staff, badly researched business deals, improper staff selection and recruitment, and/or poor product and service choices. They appear to be attractive at first, even with short term gain, but they cripple the organisation in the long run.

Still further, as you become more successful in the game, as in business, several more opportunities open up to you. In Brick Breaker you are sometimes inundated with three or four excellent points — earning tools at the same time. As in business, you may be tempted to go after all of them — again losing sight of the ball, or your goal.

While you are busy scampering behind the plethora of options, the ball plummets to the ground causing the game to crash. Well by now I am sure you know where this is going with regard to business. One observation though, is that sometimes if you move fast enough, you are able to grasp at least two within a short time frame and still not drop the ball. Attempts to go after more than that at the same time become more difficult, unless you possess the required skill level.

Finally, I think the greatest lesson to be learnt from the game is that of perseverance, persistence and belief. There are many times when I am down to one “life” left in the game. The odds are stacked up against me because the obstacles within the game have become more intense. I am at a level where the game offers no “gifts” nor “tools” and the ball keeps coming at me faster and faster. With one “life” I have to make it to the next level on my own.

Just as I do in business, I tell myself “I will not give up!” I then channel all my energies and focus passionately and with full concentration on making it to the next level with just that one life. Once I do that, I always make it to the next level, where more tools await, sometimes even additional lives.

Since we have a word limit, I will also limit my comparisons. Without endorsing any product, you will just have to explore the game yourself to determine the rest. I will however summarise the strategic business lessons discussed as follows:

1. Keep your eyes on your goal.

2. Remain focused on your goal. Do not get distracted by unwanted digressions even if they come in fancy packaging. However, take advantage of every opportunity once you keep your eyes on the goal at the same time.

3. Remember to analyse each opportunity, though, since some may appear to be attractive at first glance but with deeper analysis and research may prove to be disastrous.

4. If you are going to introduce new tools, ensure that you know or your staff knows how to use them efficiently and effectively.

5. Do not give up! Especially when the going gets tough, as in the midst of a recession or in the termination of a major contract, even when you feel as though you have no one to turn to and the market is getting more and more hostile, offering you nothing to help you thrust forward. Push on! Do not give up! Remember, it is all transient, so concentrate on what you do best. Focus even more on the goal and making it to the next level. Once you do, respite awaits. This does not mean that further challenges will not occur, however it reinforces that you have the stamina and the metal to overcome such challenges and make it to higher levels.

lisa.imaginemedia@gmail.com

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited.