How to win at a rigged game in business

We all play rigged games in business. Sometimes we are at a disadvantage because of entrenched alliances, our gender, religion or simply because the rules in place have been tailored to favour the desired winners. Sometimes we are aware we are playing with the deck stacked against us and sometimes we are blissfully ignorant or prefer not to think about it.

It is possible to win a rigged game

Having realised you are playing a rigged game, the next question is how will you deal with that knowledge? Depending on your personality you may not be able to sit back and accept it without the knowledge eating away at you. The good news is that you can win at a rigged game, because rigged games only work if they can actually be won (as we will learn later).

Choosing another game with better odds (sometimes known as “Act in haste, repent at leisure”)

One obvious solution is not to play the rigged game and choose another one. Sometimes it’s better the devil you know, and sometimes it’s hard to know whether the grass is greener on the other side. If you are planning to go looking for greener pastures, then the key here is take your time and pick the move that really works for you. Chances are you will move to another rigged game as a new player, but if you choose well the odds can be in your favour. Numerous psychological studies have shown we will play rigged games, even when we are aware they are rigged, as long as we believe we have a chance of winning. That’s not a great motivator for the people who rig the game to change the system, but by definition it must be possible to win or we stop playing. Another reason often cited for not leaving a rigged game is that the alternatives are probably rigged too. Sometimes it is a case of finding the game that is rigged in your favour, or to put it more ethically, find a game that plays to your strengths.

Reputation

One approach to winning at a rigged game is to change the playing field to either make it less rigged or even tilt the board in your favour. For those running a rigged game, reputation is everything, and in the desire to protect the rigged game it is essential to preserve a perception of fairness. In Formula 1 when Ferrari won a legal battle against Maclaren for spying, the resulting 100 million dollar fine effectively decimated that team and paved the way for Hamilton and Mercedes to rise from the ashes. One clear point to observe from this is that cheating by participants is generally handled with ruthless assertion, and frequently used to protect the fa?ade that the game is not really rigged. When playing a rigged game it is especially important to be seen as a straight shooter and play by the rules of the game. Bringing the game into disrepute is rarely tolerated. Maclaren and Ferrari were involved in bringing the game into disrepute and Mercedes stepped into the gap. Be a straight shooter and make sure you are in the right place at the right time if others get caught lining their pockets.

Risk vs Stagnation

It is said in life that “Fortune Favours the Bold”. Frequently the innate goal of big machinery is stability. Ever since Ford and the original production lines, many businesses have striven to create compartmentalised silos, with everyone knowing their place and doing their part. When people move around from role to role and up the ladder, too much change can be destabilising and bad for productivity. As a result, many organisations will create “glass ceilings” beyond which people cannot be promoted. These ceilings are there to keep stability and keep the model running efficiently. In some organisations, the only way to break through a glass ceiling is to leave, get more experience in a senior role (maybe a smaller or parallel organisation) and then return. Breaking through glass ceilings frequently involves risk, especially when it is better for the machine if you just stay quietly in your allotted place.

Playing Nice

Whilst it is said “Mercy is for the Weak”, in my experience the more reliable counter balance is “What Goes Around Comes Around”. Like the red pill / blue pill, dark side / light side, you have to pick one approach or the other, because it is not a mix and match scenario. There is a huge difference between the two strategies and it goes as follows:

Being ruthless is perfect for keeping people inline, driving up profits and looking good. However no one wants to see a ruthless junior competitor promoted to the same level or senior to themselves. Thus people at the top frequently use, reward and leverage ruthless people below them, but they rarely let them catch up or pass them.

On the other hand playing nice might not always get results as quickly as being ruthless, but over time trust is one of the biggest currencies in the entire business ecosphere. Smart people remember who had their back, and those are the people we want to see do well. So even in a rigged game, holding your breath, counting to ten and playing nice can be your smartest play, but whichever approach you choose, inconsistency will not work, pick the light or dark side and stick.

SUN TZU and the Art of War

Of the many incredible strategies in this historical masterpiece, my favourite is simply this:

Do not wage war on multiple fronts, because your divided efforts are weaker than if you focus on one front at a time.

One of the easiest ways to disorient an enemy is launch coordinated attacks from multiple angles. In life and work there may be times that happens to you. As a good friend once told me “the wolves are like sheep and the sheep are like wolves”. He meant that the company sheep were predatory when led in groups, much like kids in a playground led by a bully. There is only one way to deal with a bully and that is to stand up to them. If you are backed into a corner and feel the need to fight your way out, pick one battle that you know you can win and start there.

Why make enemies when you can make friends

It is easy to take offense in business when people lack loyalty, behave deviously or even attack you. Gaining respect often requires strength, but gaining allies involves finding common ground.

My daughter made new friends in high school because she carried spare hair bands. A small thing like that was frequently useful in sports and a great way to form small friendships. Often friendships and alliances don’t need grand gestures. Small things can matter. It is always better to have friends than enemies, so work out where others are trying to get to and how you can help them. Business is not like football where one side wins and the other loses. The great thing about business is that success breeds success.

Life’s not fair

As children we expect life to be fair, but as we grow up we gradually realise that life is not fair. People have jobs they do not deserve, people can be lazy, some lie, some cheat, some inherit fortunes and some are just in the right place at the right time. At the end of the day the simple truth is we just have to suck it up and get on with life. Don’t expect the game to be fair and don’t lose sleep when you discover you are playing a rigged game. Try to understand the lay of the land and move forwards regardless.

Reputation and Being the Best

So you have reached this far in the article, you realise the game is rigged, you are not giving up and you are not about to switch games. We have agreed that you are in a game that whilst rigged is one that it possible to win. Of all the possible strategies that have been tried throughout history, there is one strategy that works time and time again. It has stood the test of time and it goes something like this:

It may not be possible to be the best at everything but with enough work and effort you can always be the best at one thing.

It can start with something simple for example, be the person everyone goes to for help with Excel formula. If you want to win in a rigged game, find out where you can excel and be the best, put in the hours, put in the effort, make the sacrifices and don’t stop until you are the best in your chosen field.