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Come On Down!

Introducing--

You Have the Power: Recipe for Rebellion (A new game for adults with ambition)


Rules of Play: you are in charge of making a major change that will have an impact on others.

Draw a Power Play Card to determine your mission.*
*Sample Missions:
--Build a County park adjacent to a residential neighborhood,
--Reforest Open Space land to cut down on runoff and mowing costs,
--Design a new plan for an old park,
--Buy property to support affordable housing initiatives

Let's begin!

1. Make a list of things to be changed. Then,
Involve the public in the process
Or not--
Involving the public is time-consuming.

2. Finalize a list of things that will change. Then,
Communicate them with the public.
Or not--
Communicating with the public is fraught with pitfalls.

3. Uh oh! People are up in arms about the change
Draw a Full a Email Box Penalty Card. Then,
Answer their emails.
Or not--
If you don't put anything in writing, no one can hold you to it.

4. A meeting is held to respond to citizen concerns. Then,
Send your most articulate, people-friendly employees to attend.
Or not--
These meeting are merely a goodwill gesture. They don't really mean anything.

5. Move forward with the changes. If they have negative consequences you did not foresee, then,
Respond promptly to remedy the problems.
Or not--
If you didn't foresee these problems, they're not your responsibility.

6. Uh oh! Your opponent has gone over your head by playing an Outside Coercion card. Lose a turn while consulting your legal department.

Yes, I have moved from examining conflict to seeing it as "Conflict: The Game". I've seen this game play out with different players over and over again. Sometimes I find myself sympathizing with one side, sometimes another. But right now, at this very moment, I am tired of it.

Who wins this game? They say it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right? Well, is it?

I had an encouraging note from a friend yesterday which included these words,

"We have a great opportunity from this point forward to do better!"

And that's it, in a nutshell. We get to this point in the game and we need to draw an Opportunity card. But I don't want to. I feel like a cranky five year old who knocks over the pieces, complaining, "I'm bored of this game."

Oh, and one more thing. What happens if The Game becomes so frustrating and unrewarding that people don't want to play anymore? Well, this is 2013. Games are apps. And apps get updates. I am so looking forward to the update with a new set of Opportunity cards.



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