# The Default Operating Mode By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-12-14 The status quo is predictably dull. If one is so inclined, figuring out how to play the game takes little effort. One just has to look around and act like everyone else. However, there is a big difference in understanding the game's rules and playing the game well. For example, many people know the complicated rules of American football, but only some can play it well. Nearly everyone who likes the sport only observes and admires those who play it well. Within the workplace, many more people play the game, but the outcomes are largely the same: - Most people know the rules. - Few people play it well. - We admire those who are excellent players. We typically call those who play the workplace game well "leaders," but they rarely lead anything other than their successful climb up the managerial ladder. Nevertheless, there is nothing remarkable about the workplace game as currently constructed. The question is whether one likes the rules and the outcomes. If yes, continue playing the predictable game. If not, one has many options. One could decide to do nothing, or one could choose to create new rules that are more interesting and generate better outcomes. If one thinks the status quo isn't all that boring, explore how largely predictable sporting outcomes are. Certainly, the details have elements of uncertainty. Still, there is always a winner and a loser, games unfold in predictable patterns (beginning, middle, and end), and the impact outside the game is virtually zero. A computer could easily simulate games indistinguishable from the real thing and have just as much impact on the community and human experience. The question is whether something is worth engaging in if computers can model it and generate the same real-world outcomes. In the case of organizations and sports, the results are mainly insignificant, and computers are excellent at creating insignificant outcomes. It's their default operating mode and how many choose to live. #### Related Items