A game board of 64 squares in an 8 by 8 pattern. It is the long standing platform used by both checkers and chess. Yet, while these two have the same board in common, you don’t have to look much further to notice the differences between the games.
With checkers, all of the pieces are the same, valued the same, and move the same. Chess has a variety of pieces, each with different rules as to their movement, and certainly some are worth more than others, if only because of their mobility on the game board.
Both involve the removal of your opponent’s pieces from the board. In checkers, all of the pieces must be removed, so which one, and in what order, become secondary to the challenge. In chess, you must remove your opponent’s King, and this is where strategy and planning comes into play.
In checkers, players focus primarily on the current state of the board state, responding to the latest moves with little thought to the long-term implications. It's all about quick reactions and short-term thinking. While this can be effective for simple problems, it’s rarely the best approach for more complex challenges.
Chess, by comparison, is all about planning and strategy. Every move is carefully considered, and players think multiple steps ahead. The best chess players anticipate their opponent’s moves, prepare for the unexpected, and will even make sacrifices in the short term if it means securing victory in the long run. Solving problems in this way requires a broader vision, careful preparation, and the ability to think past immediate hurdles to reach the ultimate goal.
While there are plenty of moments where a checkers level approach to problem solving is completely adequate, to truly be On The Ball with life’s most complex challenges, chess is the game of choice. By approaching problem solving like chess, you focus not just on the issue immediately in front of you, but also on the overall path forward. You understand that success often requires multiple steps, is sometimes a series of mini-projects, and that a well-thought-out plan can help you navigate even the most complicated challenges.
One of the most ambitious challenges ever attempted was NASA's space exploration efforts, with the Apollo moon landing serving as the pinnacle of American ingenuity, dedication, and persistence. The journey to reach the Moon did not happen overnight, but instead was a carefully planned series of programs and corresponding milestones. This marked the beginning of the United States' efforts to send humans into space and laid the groundwork for the Apollo missions that would eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface.
The first series of flights fell under the Mercury program, which ran from 1958 to 1963. Its primary goal was to send a man into orbit and return him safely to Earth. This program helped to answer initial fundamental questions about the challenges of spaceflight, human body weightlessness and space radiation, and spacecraft navigation. Mercury was followed by Project Gemini, which sought to overcome the more complex challenges of space exploration, including the ability to rendezvous and dock with other spacecraft, and to conduct long-duration flights that simulated the conditions of a trip to the Moon.
Continuing with NASA’s master strategy, the Apollo program, which began in 1967, built off of the lessons learned and success of the Mercury and Gemini programs. Not without its setbacks, including the Apollo 1 fire, the program updated it’s plans along the way, and incorporated a redesign of the Command Module. Pushing the boundaries of what was once thought impossible, the schedule was eventually back on track, and still achieved President Kennedy’s ultimate goal of a lunar landing, and safe return to Earth, before the end of 1969.
The success of the Apollo program, and particularly the lunar landings, symbolized the culmination of years of planning, innovation, collaboration, and persistence. It established NASA as a leader in space exploration and demonstrated to the world the importance of long-term vision and investment in scientific research and technological advancement.
Now, in fairness, the Apollo moon landing is a once-in-a-generation example of planning that involved thousands of people over several years to accomplish. Perhaps we need to think of some more common, everyday examples of planning to crystalize this point.
Architects and home builders have to plan ahead all of the time. While the general contractor may ultimately be in charge of the construction, several subcontractors, such as electricians, plumbers, drywallers, painters, and carpet installers, have to be coordinated as part of the overall effort. Clearly, it makes all the sense in the world to have the electricians and plumbers complete their work before the drywallers show up, and the painters can’t start until the drywallers are finished. All of this needs to be appropriately scheduled if the new home is to be delivered by a certain date. One delay creates a domino effect to all of the other subcontractors that follow, and perhaps their schedules are not that flexible to accommodate the change. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and even the most seasoned architects and general contractors find themselves juggling at times.
Healthcare is another example where we plan ahead strategically, but our implementation can change based on the outcomes of the previous step. More often than not, when we are sick, our planned approach is a visit to a doctor to get the diagnosis. Then, based on the results of that diagnosis, and understanding of the root cause of the illness, a discussion as to options for treatment takes place, followed by the treatment itself. It’s difficult to know exactly what that treatment might be at the outset without knowing what the diagnosis is, and how critical a correct diagnosis is to the proper treatment, but we know some type of treatment will eventually be involved.
Sometimes with plans, there is a feeling that we’re “moving too slow” and can get frustrated at times that we want answers faster, or need to accomplish a project by a certain date. However, a quote often attributed to basketball coach John Wooden expresses the spirit, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” By comparison, I’m not suggesting or promoting that “analysis paralysis” is the answer, either, and that we can all too often get caught up with overthinking a diagnosis or approach to a program. But in the end, we ultimately need to be methodical in the steps we take, and how we take them, in order to ensure a successful outcome.
The execution of successful plans requires other key traits. If you have been reading other blog posts up to this point, you have noticed a theme where the 8 Traits are building blocks, yet interwoven, as a path towards achieving goals and staying On The Ball. As Planning and Preparation is the 7th of those 8 Traits, here’s how the other 6 that we’ve covered thus far fit together:
· Problem Solving – chances are your plan is addressing a complex problem, or a series of problems, of which, you have determined, or need to factor into your plan, the diagnosis of the problem, resources to address it, and the steps involved to reach a desired outcome.
· Collaboration – once you’re clear on what problem or challenge you are facing (diagnosis), you might realize you need the help of others, either because they have a special skill set, or simply because more resources are needed to address this in the allotted time.
· Communication – anytime you have a group of people involved, you have to keep them well informed. Progress updates, and changes in your approach or schedule, are essential to coordination and success.
· Ambition – the plan doesn’t just drive itself. As discussed in Ambition >> Desire, there will be times where a plan will hit a rough spot, stall, get stuck, likely for reasons completely out of your control. The easy thing to do is simply quit. But persistence and determination will be critical in the hardest and most worthwhile of complex problems that you need to see through to the end.
· Integrity – especially as you interact with others, the importance of being responsible for your plan, holding those accountable for the parts they need to execute, and building trust with all of those participating. In some ways, this seems so obvious, but the absence of it causes more complex problems to fail than anything else.
· Curiosity – finally, sometimes, you are problem you are address is some new or evolving, and as part of your plan, you need to factor in time for you and/or others to learn and grow as part of their journey. We can’t know everything we’ll ever know today, and it is only through various experiences and opportunities to we grow.
By now you’ve probably figured out the next best move is Knight to Queen 5, and likely 4 moves away from checkmate. It’s wonderful when plans work as expected.
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