Infinite Games and Elam Endings

At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

-Matthew 18:1-5

I've mentioned before how my kids intuitively know how to extend games/play/fun. From circular plots and unexpected twists during imaginative play, to double and triple and quadruple overtimes in sports and games, to asking for one more show, book, anything prior to going to bed, all three of my children have a knack for keeping things going.

In a sense, when the play ends, so does the fun. Therefore, do all that you can to keep the game going.

And, when the fun starts to wane, make a twist in order to make things more engaging. Tweak the game/play/creativity slightly to keep the fun from ending and/or make it even better. 

This is the essence of Simon Sinek's text, The Infinite Game, and how successful organizations look beyond specific metrics and focus on goals that can never really be accomplished. For example, instead of solely basing success on a dollar amount or test score, organizations that play infinite games strive to do things like change the lives of customers or bring students to fullness of life. 

This doesn't mean that you don't use metrics or gather data to gauge performance. For example, you wouldn't disregard enrollment numbers or fundraising dollars raised. You would purposefully analyze figures like this and monitor them closely throughout admissions or fundraising seasons and over the course of time. You construct data and read the story that it tells. Low enrollment might signal some blockages in the admissions pipeline. It might also provide a more serious diagnosis that the school's overall health is declining. Similarly, analyzing a less than noteworthy fundraising effort could reveal gaps in its execution. Or, it could signal larger organizational decline, dysfunction, dissent.

To play an infinite game, organizations should:

1. Have a clear sense of its mission
2. Purposefully gather and construct data to measure mission effectiveness 
3. Analyze this data in light of the organization's mission
4. Use this data-analysis to inform ongoing strategies to advance the mission

Note a common thread in the steps outlined above: the mission. 

Also note that the steps above should be cyclical and that missions need to be advanced not accomplished. 

Extend the play. Keep the fun going. Continue to move the mission forward. 

To do so, Elam Endings may prove helpful. A concept employed during the NBA All-Star games to encourage competitive play, the idea is that at some point close to the end of the game - in the case of the NBA All-Star Game it is at the start of the 4th quarter - the clock is turned off and both teams play until an agreed upon score. 

So, at the end of the 3rd quarter, let's say the score is West=75, East=95. Instead of just playing for a certain amount of time, the clock would be stopped and a target score would be named, maybe 125 points. In this way, there could theoretically be enough time for the West to come storming back and an open-ended amount of time for them to do so. They would need to score 50 points before the East netted 30 and time would no longer be against them. 

Elam Endings also prevent teams from stalling at the end of a contest. You haven't won until you've hit the goal. 

Until then, keep playing. Keep the fun going. Continue to advance the mission. 

So, infinite games might require a number of Elam Endings, maybe even an infinite number of them. Keep your mission clear and at the forefront of your efforts. Collect and construct data to measure mission-effectiveness. Analyze this data in light of the mission. Use this analysis to continue to move the mission forward. 

Little kids do this intuitively and masterfully. 

Maybe it's time to return to that child-like spirit and find a way to play - not win - some infinite games.