What’s the End Game?

I heard this proverb recently quoted on a podcast:

If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

Over my career, I have wrestled with the heart of these words. Like many others, I have often said that it is easier to just do it myself. I believe in some cases, not only is this true, but also necessary. However, those times are actually rarer than we think.

We must ask the question, what is the end goal? Are we just trying to get the job done and out of the way, or are we trying to expand the capacity of the people around us? In our families, are we passing on the family recipes or the skills to fix things around the house or are we in such a hurry that we hustle to just get it done? In business, are we equipping the next generation to take on the work when we move on or are we consumed with speed and ease in the midst of demands and urgency? In schools, are we teaching children to think and problem-solve on their own or are we just dumping information on them so we can say we are covering the material?

Simon Sinek speaks of James Carse’s work on infinite games vs. finite games. A finite game is one that has time limits, clearly defined end points, and fixed parameters. Infinite games never end, people move in and out of them, and success is measured not in wins and losses but in living fully and meaningfully. Football, chess, tournaments are finite games; relationships, business, education, life are infinite games.

Sometimes it is necessary to get a task finished quickly and efficiently. These situations play out regularly in finite games. However, in things that are timeless and priceless, relationship development pays the greater dividends. We know deep down that we are meant to be social beings. We must intentionally take time, energy, and resources to build sustainable partnerships and organizations. A math mentor of mine once said, “We never have time to do it right, but we always seem to find time to do it twice”. Let’s commit to investing in each other for the long haul!