Game-Spotting: Unlocking Strategic Agility and Moving from Stuck to Big Ideas

Have you ever felt like you were caught in a hidden game, where unseen forces seem to dictate the winners and the losers, leaving you scrambling to decipher the rules?

In leadership, these moments happen when your usual strategies fail, and every move is met with invisible obstacles.

The path forward becomes murky, and each decision feels like it could backfire, trapping you in a cycle of uncertainty and frustration.

The frustration builds, and before you know it, you’re caught in a cycle of playing small.

So, how do you break free and unlock the big ideas that lead to real progress?

The answer lies in a key component of strategic agility: Game-spotting.

What is Game-Spotting?

A game is a pattern of interactions, a story of players on a gameboard with rules, threats, objectives, and rewards.

Game-spotting is the ability to recognize the underlying patterns, dynamics, and “games” at play in any given situation. The critical skill to spot the game is pattern recognition.

It’s about seeing beyond the surface-level issues to the root causes, the hidden rules that dictate outcomes.

When you master game-spotting, you’re not just reacting to what’s happening—you’re anticipating it, influencing it, and even changing the game to your advantage.

Think about it this way: Imagine playing chess but only focusing on the move immediately in front of you. You might survive a few rounds, but eventually, you’ll be outmaneuvered.

Now, what if you could see three moves ahead, recognizing the patterns and strategies your opponent is likely to use? That’s the essence of game-spotting in leadership.

Gaming is not:

While gaming out different scenarios is central, this approach is not Game Theory. I was introduced to the Prisoner’s Dilemma game over a half a century ago, as well as Transactional Analysis Games People Play.

While I appreciate these useful and brilliant approaches, they are not the operational underpinnings of Gameboarding™.

The Importance of Strategic Agility

Strategic agility is the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining focus on your goals.

It includes both making decisions in the moment, and making decisions to create the future, even in the face of uncertainty.

As an essential part of Strategic agility, game-spotting helps you unlock the ability to move from stuck to thriving. You go from spinning your wheels to making progress, from playing it safe to making bold, impactful moves.

How Game-Spotting Enhances Strategic Agility

1. Spot the Hidden Game

The first step in game-spotting is to identify the real game being played. Often, leaders are so focused on the immediate problem that they miss the bigger picture.

You need to step back and ask yourself: What’s really going on here? What are the unspoken rules, the hidden agendas, the underlying patterns, the payoffs that are shaping this situation?

For example, imagine you’re leading a team that’s struggling to meet its goals. On the surface, it might look like a performance issue. But if you dig deeper, you might discover that the real issue is a lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities driven by conflicting objectives. By spotting the hidden game, you can address the root cause and create real change.

2. Status Quo vs. Generative Games: Shifting Dynamics for Impactful Leadership

In the realm of leadership and decision-making, games can be categorized into two distinct types: Status Quo Games and Generative Games.

Status Quo Games are reactive, merely responding to circumstances to maintain the current state of affairs.

In contrast, Generative Games are proactive, aimed at creating and bringing new possibilities into existence.

Beneath every reactive game lies what I call the Game of Threats, characterized by deception, power plays, or entrenched worldviews:

• Deceptive Games might involve conflict avoidance, distractions, or pretense, where individuals repeat patterns that avoid real issues.
• Power Games manifest as one-upmanship, where individuals exert control or impose time pressures to dominate others.
• Worldview Games are evident when people play small, stick to their battle stations, or strive for unattainable perfection, all of which stifle growth.

Have you noticed these 'Games of Threats' in your professional or personal life?

On the flip side, Generative Games foster deeper insights and collaboration. They focus on amplifying impact and transforming situations to create better outcomes.

Blindspots can blindside you.

Consider an actual brainstorming session where a competent manager quickly pushes for a compromise to "cut to the chase." While compromise can be beneficial, in this context, it was a reactive pattern—aimed at avoiding the discomfort of exploring the unknown and a fear of failure. This reactivity undermined the meeting’s goal to forge a bigger, better outcome. Once the manager recognized the reactive nature of her suggestion, she shifted - with some guidance - to a generative approach, opening up new possibilities for her team.

Secret leverage:Decoding Hidden Motives:

Always ask, "What am I not supposed to notice here?"

This question can uncover hidden, possibly deceptive elements within interactions—conscious or unconscious. Like a codebreaker analyzing a lock, understanding the underlying psychology and design that may intend to deceive or distract is crucial.

Remember, not all diversions are sinister; some may be simple white lies to avoid discomfort. However, many games are designed to mask a weakness, and sometimes, they are indeed nefarious.

3. Rules/rule

What are the rules of the game? How do you win? What can cause you to be disqualified?

The meta-rule in interactions is: Who can say what to whom and when?

This will reveal the nature of the relationship including the power dynamic.

A Sales exec who had been at the company for 10 years was put on a PIP (a performance improvement plan). Fix your behavior in 3 months or you will have your walking papers. Or as they say in NYC, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.’ Sounds harsh.

The EVP, his new boss, was frustrated with him. In public and private meetings the sales exec kept telling the new boss how things were handled in the company, before he showed up. And the best roadmap for the future, according to him.The sales exec thought he was just trying to help. But his behavior repeatedly ‘1 upping’ the new boss in public. Sounds obvious now, but neither the EVP nor the sales exec could figure out what was going wrong. But when you have the lens of rules of the hidden game, fixes are rapid.

Today’s newsletter focuses on spotting the game. In the next I’ll tell you the exact word for word get well program that saved his job. The new boss tore up the PIP early. And it was simple, but only because of spotting the game.

4. The Hidden Language of Games

In the realm of leadership and communication, mastering the subtle art of spotting the hidden games—those underlying strategies and motivations that aren't immediately apparent—is crucial.

This ability allows leaders to anticipate challenges and understand the deeper dynamics at play, which is essential for effective decision-making and team guidance.

Here’s how you can become adept at spotting the game in any leadership scenario:

• Become a Language Sleuth: Pay close attention to language, especially cause-effect phrases like "If x, then y." For example, ‘when you make practical suggestions then we can move forward fast.’ This causal insight can reveal underlying perceptions and rules.
• Identify Key Criteria: Observe what others prioritize, as these often reveal the real game being played. Listen to expressed expectations to understand strategic and subconscious games. Even though bosses may not ask, offering to step forward on a big project shows you are an impact player.
• Assess Assumptions: Recognize the assumptions behind decisions to understand the hidden 'gameboard.' Mismatches between the espoused value and actual reality reveal the real assumptions that matter. In some situations pushing to get more done may appear to be the highest goal, but the reality may expose the fear of losing status as guiding actions.
• Analyze Assigned Meanings: Note the meanings people assign to actions or behaviors, such as timeliness equating to respect. This helps you identify the unspoken rules influencing behavior. And respect is often a critical rule, and showing up late may be perceived as disrespectful.
• Interpret Implied Messages: Common phrases or statements can reveal much about hidden games. For example, "leaders go first" might imply that initiative is highly valued, and if you don’t take initiative your status will be reduced.

By focusing on these techniques, you will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics influencing your team and organization, vital for effective leadership.

5. Attempted Solutions reveal the game

The road to hell is paved with mishandled interactions - Steven Feinberg, PhD

Do you sometimes push your point of view, rather than ask questions?

Do you sometimes play 1 up, unknowingly?

Do you withdraw from interactions, when engaging would actually make a difference?

To spot the game, identify attempted solutions and ask,

“How’s that working for you?”

If the solution is expected to work, but it’s not working you have a chance to see the reality of the game. Without this game insight you will only persist in a pattern that won’t achieve the desired outcome.

6. Payoffs

Every game has a payoff. The game is structured to deliver the payoff. Even counterproductive behavior can be a payoff for attention.

Have you ever noticed how a riverbed shapes how the water will flow? It is a hidden structure. Although invisible, structure shapes behavior. In the same way, payoff structures are the hidden rules that shape behavior. The incentive structure is a powerful force.

On your gameboard there are winning payoffs. In your inner game, there are payoffs that keep you safe, or stuck in the familiar, avoiding the fear of rejection or failure.

Not to be overlooked is time. The past, present and future impact decisions. Consider the time frame for when things must be delivered. Are the players using payoffs that worked in the past but won’t in the present?

Questions to Ask Yourself

To start practicing game-spotting, ask yourself these questions:

• What’s the real game being played in this situation?
• Is this a reactive or generative game?
• What are the clues in the language we are using?
• What are the unspoken rules or hidden patterns influencing the players?
• Am I stuck in an old pattern, an attempted solution, that’s no longer serving me?
• What is the payoff of the game?

Taking Action: Spotting the Hidden Game

Now that you understand the importance of game-spotting and strategic agility, it’s time to put it into practice. Here’s how you can start:

1. Reflect on Recent Challenges: Think about a recent challenge you faced as a leader. What was the real game being played? What patterns did you notice, and how did the patterns influence the outcome?

2. Identify Hidden Games: In your current projects or team dynamics, what hidden games might be at play? Take some time to analyze the situation from different angles and identify the underlying patterns.

3. Clarify the payoff: Based upon what you have uncovered, what is the payoff that a) keeps the counter productive behavior in place, or b) keeps you moving forward in the midst of adversity? Begin to consider how you can leverage the payoff or change to meet the situation.

4. Encourage Game-Spotting in Your Team: Finally, encourage your team to start practicing game-spotting. Make it a regular part of your meetings to discuss the hidden games at play and how you can adapt your strategies accordingly.

Your Next Move

Game-spotting is a powerful tool for unlocking strategic agility and moving from stuck to thriving. By recognizing the hidden games at play, adapting quickly, and leveraging patterns for big ideas, you can lead your team to new heights.

How are you planning to implement game-spotting in your leadership strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments below. We will highlight how to adapt in the next newsletter. And if you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level, let’s talk. Book a call with me today, and let’s unlock the big ideas that will drive your success.

About Steven Feinberg, PhD

Steven Feinberg, PhD., is a distinguished Neurostrategist, Executive Coach, and High Performance Team Builder, renowned for enhancing the capabilities of some of America's sharpest and smartest brains and businesses. His current work is on Mastering Your Game: unlocking the hidden game of patterns to excel. With an extensive portfolio of work with CEOs, senior executives, and business founders, he has contributed to the success of organizations ranging from billion-dollar Corporate 500s to vibrant entrepreneurial startups, including notable brands such as Apple, Nvidia, Google, Visa, Oracle, LinkedIn, Wells Fargo, Autodesk, and Xero, ranked the Number 1 innovation startup. He also works with public service organizations, like the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

For almost three decades, Dr. Feinberg served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco School of Management. Steven guest lectured at prestigious institutions like Stanford and Cal Poly. He is the author of the highly acclaimed Amazon bestsellers, "The Advantage-Makers” and "Do What Others Say Can’t Be Done: Play The Meta-Game”

With more than 40 years of direct experience in high-pressure, high-stakes business environments. Dr. Feinberg specializes in Mastering Your Game, to excel by transforming uncertainty into opportunities for high-velocity advancement, achieving remarkable impact for both individuals and teams.