Accomplishing tough goals is like winning a chess game

For starters, it’s one of the few games scientifically proven to increase a person’s intelligence. That’s understandable given the nature of the strategies involved with the game. It’s not enough just to make moves and countermoves – a true master at the game literally plans 10-to-12 moves in advance. That’s an amazing feat given that there are 16 pieces per team, each with its own set of specific moves along 64 squares. That means a master is keeping track of 32 pieces (his and his opponent’s) along 64 squares for 10-to-12 moves in advance. The planning and manipulating and knowledge of the skills and abilities of the pieces needed for such a feat is astounding.

That’s what is fascinating to me about the game. It’s a mental battle — the goal is to outwit and out-plan your opponent. There are attack and defense strategies, and then contingency plans for those strategies … and likely contingency plans for those contingency plans.

I believe it’s those same skills that make a good manager and leader. I once read in a book a few years back that those who wield the most power are the ones who use that power the least. The concept refers to delegation and planning.

In the business world we call it effective time management — efficiency, if you will. As a journalist, my world is consumed by deadlines. There’s a checklist on my wall just over my left shoulder of deadlines for the current issue of the Joplin Tri-State Business. If I don’t meet those deadlines, the paper doesn’t get finished. And, I’m just one of the pieces on the chessboard.

Every business faces the challenge of making sure deadlines and goals are met. The challenge is intensified as more “pieces” — or employees — are added. Those employees are hired because of specific skills they bring to the table in hopes of making productivity more efficient. But even if your company only has two or three employees, it still requires good planning and time management.

Do you frequently find yourself stressing out about finishing projects on time or making sure finances are in the green? Does it seem like you’re playing catch-up instead of staying on top of things? If so, maybe it’s time to take a step back and analyze your time management.

A master chess player plans everything out before even touching a piece. If he or she does move a piece and lets go, then realizes it was a bad move, it’s too late. The move counts and the player has to live with his or her bad decision. That’s why master chess players are methodical. And they work at making those tough decisions more quickly.

The point is: efficiency and success in meeting goals and deadlines comes in planning and time management. A manager needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of his or her employees, the time needed for certain tasks, and then needs to make a plan that allows for the right about of time needed per each employee on each project. It’s also the manager’s responsibility to train those employees on setting time-management plans of their own.

If you’ve got a good plan, and you stick to that plan, there’s absolutely no reason why deadlines and goals shouldn’t get met. Eventually it will get to a point where things are clicking on all cylinders and you’ll be able to extend those goals and grow accordingly.

And the best part is, it’s just as fun to play in the business world as it is a good game of chess.

Chris Roberts is a reporter for Joplin Tri-State Business.[[In-content Ad]]