Jenga – An interesting metaphor

Have you played Jenga before? I love to play with my niece (We play UNO Stacko instead), and we always look forward to it collapsing.

Did it occur to you that a Jenga set is like an organization, where it can look solid from the outside, but actually not so. Every piece looks like it has a place within the organization, where each piece forms the structure of it.

There are pieces which don't serve any function where they are basically not contributing. They are not supporting anything, but yet sitting on top of other pieces. They can even be a burden to those above / below them. Doesn't this sound familiar in any organization? These are the loose ones which can be easily removed, and some actually form the foundation of the tower. Yes, you think that they are the pillar of support, but they can still be removed. These pieces don't even have an impact on the structure.

The structure is still in place even with these pieces taken out.

Are these pieces redundant then? Are these pieces Grade D then? What do we do to the pieces after we remove them? We re-stack! We try to put them on top, and put other pieces on top of them, and soon these pieces serve their function. Can we do this to the D graders in the organization, or rather the people who are sitting in between aimlessly? Instead of seeing them as pieces who are not contributing but rather sapping the organization of its resources and energy, can we re-deploy them so that they can show their worth and serve the organization better? We should tap on their strength so that they can also provide support and growth within the organization.

But re-stacking is not just increasing height. The structure can be taller, but not necessarily more stable. Moving requires more strategic thinking. What is the objective of removing the loose piece if it hinders the progress of the organization rather than supporting it? Moving doesn't solely depend on the cause and effect theory. In reality it involves more other complex factors. Without considering all the other connections, the actions taken to remove the loose pieces may prove ineffective or disastrous to the organization.

On the other hand, there are some pieces crucial to the organization. Once you remove them, the whole tower collapses, but this is not healthy at all. These pieces are not stable themselves. Different tasks always land on the shoulders of the same pool of teachers. If these are the pieces supporting the structure, they should not be overloaded or else they might break.

Jenga is a game of skill. Just like you need skills to increase the height of it and making sure it doesn't collapse, you need skills to run an organization. I'm still learning... ...