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# Play Chess, Not Checkers
- URL: https://makoism.com/play-chess-not-checkers-df51db85ccbb/
- Published: 2020-12-21T23:05:48.000Z
- Updated: 2020-12-21T23:05:48.000Z
- Description: You want my king, you got to come get my king. All these other pieces are just the means to do it.
- Author: Steve Makofsky
- Tags: makoism, #newsletter-makoism, #substack

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/8f/618f2076-e6a0-40dc-8037-06080661dee7/content/images/public/images/26861ef3-8cac-4ffc-ac62-f3247a581ac4_1024x682.jpeg)

chess

I can’t remember where I first heard the concept of “*playing chess instead of checkers*”, or even where the quote came from. Perhaps it was [Kobe Bryant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe%5FBryant):

> These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess

Or, from the film [Training Day](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139654/)

or from the book [Chess, Not Checkers](https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Not-Checkers-Leadership-Performance/dp/1626563942) by [Mark Miller](https://www.tmarkmiller.com)

> If you want to build a high performance organization, you’ve got to play chess, not checkers.

> \[..\]

> When you see recurring problems, the methods you’ve used successfully in the past have to be reevaluated.

No matter where the true origin is, my own experiences with [inversion](https://furrygoat.com/inversion-e83977acc73a) is that you want to surround yourself with the people on your team, your co-workers and with your relationships who have the ability to be **proactive instead of reactive**.

These are the people who see the **end game**, they know how to spot [high degrees of noise](https://furrygoat.com/the-bucket-5d5ecbae9ce7), they know how to navigate it (and take it for the little it’s worth), and will be able to plan **past** the next move.

In many situations (at work, in life, whenever) strategies and goals are treated as simplistic problems — much like “checkers” — you move one piece at a time to accomplish the single task: **eliminate the other player’s pieces**.

I’d offer you a different choice — **context**.

You see, in chess, you have to understand how each piece works; thinking forward to the effects that each move and counter-move is made, working smarter than your opponent. Predicting outcomes and navigating the problem from the higher ground.

Oddly — you’ll find that it’s often a simple choice to work smarter, **not harder**.

Establish **context** to problems. Understand that context before jumping head first into simple solutions (that’s where most go). Ask yourself — ‘*what am I missing*?’ Or ‘*what is missing*?’

**Play chess, not checkers** my friends.

You’ll find life to be a much more interesting game.