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What managers can learn from Dungeons and Dragons

The gaming world can also be inspiring for managers. (Photo: Gorodenkoff / shutterstock)

When you think of “Dungeons and Dragons”, you probably come first mystical fantasy worlds and mythical creatures come to mind. But it is worthwhile to change your perspective a little and to see pen & paper games as an opportunity to learn some lessons for everyday business life.

1. Nobody has an omniscient crystal ball

The special attraction of the classic role-playing games lies above all in the fact that the players: inside and whose decisions have a decisive influence on the course of the game and the outcome of every adventure. Nobody can predict how the common path will turn out and what result the team will achieve in the end. The players explore the game world together, face challenges and experience adventures that they master together.

Pretty much exactly like that it is also in business: the market provides the playing field on which companies operate, and it is always fraught with a certain degree of uncertainty. The decisions of the team influence the company’s success and the development of the organization. In everyday professional life, too, it is important to master challenges together as a team and to grow with them.

2. Your teams are heroes and need you as a reliable narrator

In role-playing games, the players are usually referred to as heroes, who set out to go on adventures. They are equipped with different skills and, as a team, ideally bring everything they need to master the mission successfully. If you take on the narrator role, you represent the entire game world, describe the environment, play many additional characters and ensure exciting adventures.

Managers who perceive their employees as heroes show them the necessary appreciation and thus ensure motivation and commitment. Even if the general conditions for business are often influenced by the market, managers ultimately shape the professional playing field of their teams. You shape the history of the company and, as the narrator, you are the contact person for the concerns of colleagues.

3. Numbers form the basis for strategic decisions

Abilities, spells and battles are rolled in “Dungeons and Dragons” and with extrapolated to certain factors. Ultimately, the course of the game depends on fixed numbers in combination with random values ​​influenced by luck.

Data also help in business, make informed decisions. Some factors can be influenced by the teams, while others are dictated by the market. Regardless of how detailed the information base is, uncertainty and happiness also play an essential role on the path to success in everyday business life.

4. Support your teams in their communication and let them be creative

Pen & Paper games require imagination, creativity and the ability to form a world of thought together. In this jointly created environment, the players have to find their way around as a team and pursue a common goal. In addition, the game lives from the fact that the participants exchange ideas and actively shape the respective adventure together.

This is where the parallel to the professional one World very quickly: If teams are given the necessary freedom, they can solve problems creatively. But it also takes a good dose of imagination to pursue a common entrepreneurial vision. Active and open communication supports successful cooperation and a good working atmosphere.

5. Improvisation and storytelling lead to success

Not only the heroes in the adventure have to constantly adapt to new situations, but also In the narrator role, you never know beforehand what to expect.

A talent for improvisation is therefore an important quality that not only offers advantages in “Dungeons and Dragons”, but also helps in a business context to deal with unpredictable factors such as customers and market developments. It helps managers to lead their teams safely even in stormy times. In addition, as in the game, it is important to repeatedly swear all employees to the common vision. The more clearly managers describe and convey the common goals, the more exciting the story will be for the teams and the more motivated they will plunge into the adventures that lie ahead.

6. The better you know your team, the more successful you are together

In the role play, the narrator learns the players involved: to assess the inside very quickly and to deal with them accordingly. Attentive captains quickly know who is interested in which topics, how each person makes decisions and what skills they are characterized by.

This gift also helps managers to lead their teams in practice: if they know the skill sets and characteristics of their colleagues exactly, they can bring them together in project groups, respond individually to their needs, and use the right motivational levers and thus achieve the best result for the entire team.

Pen – & – paper games are not just for diversion a busy working week. You can also help to further develop your own management skills. So get on with pen and paper – it’s worth it!

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