*formerly posted on the BGSU MBASA website in 2009
Tonight is MBASA's Texas Hold 'em night; hope to see you there. In business and in life, we are constantly dealt cards. The Texas Hold 'em games that we play in our careers and in our lives carry on until we retire from the workplace and from the world we know. Each hand we are dealt, each assignment and each day that we face, is new--even when the combination of cards initially is the same.
Over the years, we learn and develop strategies to handle the work in front of us and cope with the stress that comes with it. We hope for the best hands to start--perhaps pocket Aces (a pair of Aces) or two suited face cards (such as the King and Queen of Hearts). Yet, even with the best starting hands, we might not win the game. Someone may bluff with the worst starting hand of all--2-7 off-suit--only to find two 7's and a 2 on the flop to give them a Full House (three of a kind + a pair). That is, some things in business and in life are truly beyond our control. Results of games, like results in business and in life, come from a combination of skill and luck.
Sometimes we misplay our hands. We make mistakes, losing money, hurting friends, damaging the car, burning dinner, and so on. Other times, we are unsure if we played our cards right. Did the significant other enjoy the date last night? Did the boss appreciate the extra time we spent to finish the project well? Did the professor mind when we pointed out an error on the board? And, of course, there are times when we do play our cards right. We land a job, get a promotion, get another date, pick the right investment plan, etc. The key is to make the most of what we have, evaluating situations as best we can, learning from success and failure, and not getting caught up in last game's/yesterday's win or loss.
Tonight, everyone is playing to have fun and/or to win. In the rest of our MBA program, in our careers, and in our lives, I hope that we are all playing to have fun and to win. Good luck today, tonight, and in all the days and nights ahead!
Tonight is MBASA's Texas Hold 'em night; hope to see you there. In business and in life, we are constantly dealt cards. The Texas Hold 'em games that we play in our careers and in our lives carry on until we retire from the workplace and from the world we know. Each hand we are dealt, each assignment and each day that we face, is new--even when the combination of cards initially is the same.
Over the years, we learn and develop strategies to handle the work in front of us and cope with the stress that comes with it. We hope for the best hands to start--perhaps pocket Aces (a pair of Aces) or two suited face cards (such as the King and Queen of Hearts). Yet, even with the best starting hands, we might not win the game. Someone may bluff with the worst starting hand of all--2-7 off-suit--only to find two 7's and a 2 on the flop to give them a Full House (three of a kind + a pair). That is, some things in business and in life are truly beyond our control. Results of games, like results in business and in life, come from a combination of skill and luck.
Sometimes we misplay our hands. We make mistakes, losing money, hurting friends, damaging the car, burning dinner, and so on. Other times, we are unsure if we played our cards right. Did the significant other enjoy the date last night? Did the boss appreciate the extra time we spent to finish the project well? Did the professor mind when we pointed out an error on the board? And, of course, there are times when we do play our cards right. We land a job, get a promotion, get another date, pick the right investment plan, etc. The key is to make the most of what we have, evaluating situations as best we can, learning from success and failure, and not getting caught up in last game's/yesterday's win or loss.
Tonight, everyone is playing to have fun and/or to win. In the rest of our MBA program, in our careers, and in our lives, I hope that we are all playing to have fun and to win. Good luck today, tonight, and in all the days and nights ahead!