Gardening and Chess
Retired US Army General Stanley McChrystal has written an interesting and important book, Team of Teams. I read it several months ago and have recently circled back to revisit some of its teaching points.
He notes that complex systems need gardeners, not chess players. “Years later as Task Force commander, I began to view effective leadership in the new environment as more akin to gardening than chess. The move-by-move control that seemed natural to military operations proved less effective than nurturing the organization—its structure, processes and culture—to enable the subordinate components to function with ‘smart autonomy.”– Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal, page 225
The game of chess—with its multiple pieces that can move in any number of different ways—is, without question, a complicated system. Throughout the game, however, the chess master can choose each move by scanning the entire field of engagement in a single glance and pondering the many variables. Each move is done in turn. It’s a typical action-reaction cycle.
A gardener has a lot less control over the tomatoes because the garden is more than just a complicated system. It’s a complex system. The gardener can get things started at planting season and reap results at the harvest. In between, though, it’s all about making those subtle adjustments based on the dictates of weather and other variables.
Many leaders try to be chess masters in organizations that would be better served by someone who has adopted a gardener mindset. These organizations need to be tended, not controlled. McChrystal goes on to show us how he did it—and how we can.
In my business, helping military professionals find meaningful employment in the private sector, I frequently mention that the job hunting process is like gardening. It takes planning, organizing, and deliberate action in the form of networking and cultivating relationships.
Many military professionals are impatient. They expect to get a high paying job right away. They get frustrated when they cannot convince others of their perceived worth, reliability, and work ethic. They also get frustrated by those who do not respond to their calls or answer their emails. I counsel patience and persistence.
I stress to these transitioning military professionals that job hunting is like gardening. You have to know where to select the plot of land (where you want to live and work). Next, you need to prepare the soil (decide what you want to do and for whom), plant some seeds, (network aggressively) cultivate and tend to your garden (build trust and demonstrate your value), while remaining mindful of the weather (understanding and relating to the business environment). Gardeners and job seekers have things they can control (their feelings and attitudes) and others they cannot control (economic conditions and the weather).
Whereas Chess is move and counter-move, gardening is about planning, tending, and cultivating. Gardening takes much more time than a game of Chess–sometimes months. When the Chess game is over, you get up and walk away but in gardening you reap what you sow and the harvest can feed you and your family for a great deal of time.
I recently heard from one of my associates who over a six-month time-frame was working multiple leads. He participated in several interviews and was considering two solid job offers. Once he received a written offer we talked about the salary and benefit package and discussed a negotiation strategy. In the end, he ended up with a salary increase and a generous sign-on bonus. He had become a master gardener.
