Business is very much like playing Poker

            BUSINESS IS VERY MUCH LIKE PLAYING POKER

Continuing Tony Hsieh’s comparison between business and playing poker and the lesson learned along the way, from his book; Delivering Happiness.

 

STRATEGY

• Don’t play games you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.
• Figure out the game when the stakes aren’t high.
• Don’t cheat. Cheaters never win in the long run.
• Stick to your principles.
• You need to adjust your style of play throughout the night as the dynamics of the game change. Be flexible.
• Be patient and think long-term.
• The players with the most stamina and focus usually win.
• Differentiate yourself. Do the opposite of what the rest of the table is doing.
• Hope is not a good plan.
• Don’t let yourself go “on tilt.” It’s much more cost effective to take a break, walk around, or leave the game for the night.

CONTINUAL LEARNING

• Educate yourself. Read books and learn from others who have done it before.
• Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.
• Learn by surrounding yourself with talented players.
• Just because you win a hand doesn’t mean you’re good and you don’t have more learning to do. You may have just been lucky.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

CULTURE

• You’ve gotta love the game. To become really good, you need to live it and sleep it.
• Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.
• Be nice and make friends. It’s a small community.
• Share what you’ve learned with others.
• Look for opportunities beyond just the game you sat down to play. You never know whom you’re going to meet, including new friends for life or new business contacts.
• Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.

Do you want to Deliver Happiness in your business and take it to the next level? We can dramatically improve your individual and organizational effectiveness. You can take advantage of a mentor, coach and consultant or you can make mistakes. Which makes more sense? What are you waiting for? Give us a call.