Games at Work

The “games” covered by this book encompass all of the behaviors which favor individual interests to the detriment of collective performance in business settings. This is a vast concept (some would say too vast), ranging from spreading rumors to refusing to make a decision that could make enemies, not to mention the charade that annual budget negotiations often become. Despite the unquestionably “catch-all” side of the book, the content is nonetheless distinguished by sophisticated analyses of the phenomena described, their consequences and the solutions that individual managers can contribute.
In addition to the vast inventory of the games that can disrupt business operations, the authors show how these games are derived from the specific environment of each organization and how they are interconnected to form a large part of the company culture. They stress that the negative consequences are often much more serious than one might imagine. Particularly interesting, chapters 4 and 5 are devoted to the subconscious nature of these games, which appear natural to those who practice them. Without proposing any magic formula, these chapters offer many ideas to get managers thinking and provoke a salutary awareness.
That having been said, how can you change these behaviors? Using many concrete examples, the authors show how constructive dialogue, combined with official condemnation of the most destructive games and exemplary behavior on the part of company leaders, can catalyze real improvement.