Playing Monopoly for a Living

"What do you do for a living?"

Whenever I am asked this question, my response is usually too brief or too long, and never quite right. Most of the time I use the specific jargon of the industry I work in, which means very little to anyone outside my particular field. Years ago, I tried to explain my occupation—Director of Operations at a commercial real estate company—to an extended family member at a barbecue. After an explanation that ran too long, she asked, “So you work at the mall? That’s cool, which store?” At which point I just said, “Nordstrom,” and went to grab a beer.

Recently I attended an executive peer-group meeting and the facilitator asked me to explain my job in terms a sixth grader could understand. I stood in front of this group of very accomplished and respected professionals and began to speak. Each time I would use jargon or “MBA speak,” the facilitator would interrupt, asking me to clarify what I meant. I quickly realized this exercise would be more difficult than I thought. After a few minutes of stumbling with my words, one audience member stated, “It sounds like Monopoly to me.” At that moment, I realized how easy it could be to explain my vocation if only I would frame it within the context of a widely understood metaphor. And so I have crafted the following:

At my company, we play Monopoly every day. We travel around a “game board” that includes the states of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, looking for properties to buy. And instead of putting houses and hotels on these properties, we build shopping centers and apartments. My job is to take care of all the properties we own and oversee construction on some of the new ones.

Hopefully, this simple explanation gives you a sense of what I do for a living. If not, I would welcome any recommendations on how to make it more succinct and clear.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Imagine yourself standing in front of a classroom of sixth graders and give it a try.