What managers can learn from Dungeons and Dragons

When you think of “Dungeons and Dragons”, the first thing that probably comes to mind is mystical fantasy worlds and mythical creatures. 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.

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The special attraction of the classic role-playing games lies in the fact that the players and their 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.

It is pretty much the same 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.

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 storyteller, you are the point of contact for colleagues’ concerns.

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

In business, too, data helps to make well-founded 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 luck also play an essential role on the path to success in everyday business life.

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. The game also lives from the fact that those involved exchange ideas and actively shape the respective adventure together.

Here the parallel to the professional world becomes clear 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.

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 will happen to you.

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.

In the role play, the narrator learns to assess the players involved 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 exactly the skill sets and characteristics of their colleagues, they can specifically bring them together in project groups, respond individually to their needs, use the right motivational levers and so achieve the best result for the entire team.

Pen & paper games are not only used to amuse yourself after a strenuous week at work. You can also help to further develop your own management skills. So get your pen and paper – it’s worth it!