Super Mario 3D World and Working Together (4-6-23)

Last week was about video games and diagnosing the situation before offering any advice. This week is about Super Mario 3D World and the challenges of working together.

Super Mario 3D World is our latest 4 player family video game. It’s a cute adventure with Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach who work together to stop Bowser. It’s also an INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING game at times. How can something so cute and joyous be so frustrating? It’s all because the actions of the characters impact each other, so it’s easy to get blindsided and knocked off track. You might run into another character and accidentally knock them off the edge to their doom. You might go to one side of the screen, making the screen follow you, so no one else can see what they are doing, leading to their death. You might get lost in all of the chaos and get ambushed by a lowly goomba. In order to survive, we have to be able to look at our own character and how everyone else is moving. We also have to spend a lot of time coordinating and communicating. Sometimes, we even have to pause the game to talk about what we need to do, so we are all on the same page. This is the only way to capture the flag at the end of each level to advance.

What if work is just like Super Mario 3D World? Think about it. You have multiple players with various skill levels who all have their own power-ups and abilities. Everyone is racing to a goal. Your actions impact you and others around you and vice versa. Have you ever been blindsided by actions of a “player”? Maybe, you’ve been hit by an unexpected process at the worst time. Maybe, you were trying to zig, while everyone else was zagging. Maybe, you had a deadline ambush you from behind a corner. Maybe, you made a decision that had unintended ramifications down the road. I know all these things have happened to me. Like my family playing Super Mario 3D World, in order to be successful you have to understand your role AND look at the big picture to see how it all fits together with other players. You need to spend time communicating with the other players. Sometimes, you might even have to pause and slow things down to ensure everyone is aligned on the end goal. That’s the only way to win.

The challenge: How are you integrating with all of the players in your game? What are you doing to ensure everyone is working together?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Super Mario, Warp Pipes, and Looking for New Ways of Doing Things (3-23-22)

Happy Wednesday,

This is the last entry in our Super Mario series. We started with Super Stars and how we aren’t always invincible. We looked at Luigi and being brave enough to face fear. We thought about leveraging strengths and being curious about each other. This week is about Super Mario, secret warp zones, and looking for different ways of doing things.

The original Super Mario Brothers game was a simple side scrolling game. When I first played the game as a little kid, I assumed that I would need to fight through EVERY single level. The layout and design for the first level made it clear that the screen would scroll in one direction and that I needed to reach the flag at the end of each level to complete it. I ASSUMED I would need to repeat this process over and over and over again. However, I was wrong. If you kept your eyes open and tried new things, you could find hidden passages aka warp zones that could enable you to skip entire worlds. See the picture.

What does this have to do with anything? While work isn’t a side scrolling video game, it is a system comprised of standard rules, approaches, processes, and frameworks that we use daily. In some ways, all those things help us move faster. However, sometimes, those things become programming that we start to follow without realizing it. Similar to my experience with Mario, we get so used to the way things are designed that we don’t question if those rules, approaches, processes, and frameworks are always the best ones. One of my mantras is “There is always the hidden option.” It doesn’t mean that I necessarily know what the hidden option is. It doesn’t mean that the hidden option is always best. Instead, it’s a constant reminder that I shouldn’t allow myself to become so comfortable in the status quo that I stop searching for something better. Who knows if exploring a little bit outside of the status quo might help us find our own warp zone to better serve our customers?

The challenge: Will you break the status quo and keep your eyes open for a new way of doing things?

Bonus real world example: Last fall I had A, B, C workstreams I wanted to work on in parallel. I was told that our processes dictated that I only do one at a time, so I’d have to do A then B then C. Doing the projects in this way was the standard approach, but it would also add weeks to our timelines and make us miss our deadlines. Instead of accepting this, I researched the process. I realized technically we could work on A, B, and C simultaneously, even though we normally didn’t do it that way. I called the person who owned the process, explained the situation, and how we could work on A, B, and C at the same time and still be compliant with the process. They basically said, “That’s different, but you can still do it. I just need you to email Bob and then make a note in the system about this, so we remember.” All of a sudden, the things that couldn’t be done because of the process were now being done. We were able to work on A, B, and C to hit our deadlines, and all I ended up doing was researching a process, having an extra conversation, and sending an email. It was about 30 minutes of work to shave weeks off our timeline. It’s all because I kept my eyes open for the hidden option when I hit a wall, and I found that warp pipe to get us to where we needed to be.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Shy Guy and Allowing Ourselves to be Curious (3-16-22)

Last week was about leveraging our strengths and the strengths of others. This week is about Shy Guy and allowing ourselves to be curious.

Shy Guy is a relatively minor side character and Super Mario enemy. See the image. A few years ago, I stumbled across an image of Shy Guy and I paused. This character I had known since I was a little kid, now had piqued my curiosity. There was something intriguing about a character wearing a mask and robe. As I looked at him, I began to wonder. What is his story? What are some of his favorite memories? How does he feel about things? As I explored my curiosity, I began to write different things. “Shy Guy doesn’t talk much but has journals full of sweet love poems.” and “Shy Guy wears a mask, so the world can’t see him snickering.” From there I began to write poems further exploring who he is. As I did this, I quickly realized this quirky character had more depth than I ever imagined. (Poems are at the bottom of this blog if you’re intrigued.)

What does this have to do with anything? I gave myself permission to be curious about Shy Guy and it led me to explore and better understand a character I had never given a second thought to. We live in a world focused on speed and rushing, which often interferes with our ability to slow down and be curious. Imagine what would happen if we gave ourselves permission to be more curious about our work and the people we work with. Imagine how we would have a deeper appreciation for each other if we gave ourselves permission to spend a few more valuable minutes trying to understand someone’s story, their motivation, and the way they see the world. Imagine how much stronger our relationships would be. Imagine how much more beauty we would see.

The challenge: Are you giving yourself permission to be curious and explore?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Shy Guy Poems

Shy Guy and Soul Music
3 months. 13 days.
Shy Guy sneaks around his house.
Stealthy.
Silent.
He doesn’t want the curtains to know.
He pounces, shutting them.
The house entirely dark
he stumbles over furniture to find the light.
He curses as he trips.
He peeks outside one more time.
No one is watching.

He blows the dust off the record player.
Memories float up into the air with the dirt specks.

He thinks of his mother,
clutching his hand and his teddy.
Showing them how to twist.
The pearls around her neck
moving in time with the music.

Shy Guy has never been to church,
but is convinced this is soul music.
James Brown.
Funk starts hitting Shy Guy like a wrecking ball,
making the walls he built around himself crumble.

Slowly.
His foot starts tapping.
Slowly.
He smiles again.
Slowly.
He begins peeling back the curtains.

Andrew Embry 2010

Shy Guy Haiku 1

Mask over his mouth.

Hooded robe over body.

He tells no secrets.

Shy Guy Haiku 2

Black holes for his eyes.

Nothing escapes his strong gaze.

No words leave his mouth.

Shy Guy Haiku 3

Mario villain.

Koopa henchman is a monk.

Meek inherit earth.

(Shy Guy) Mask over Heaven

His blackhole eyes consume literary galaxies
with stars and the heavens swirling.
Gravity so strong words cannot escape him.
Not even these,
so fragile
with black ink so faded.
He puts down Milton for the night.

His fingers fiddle with folds of his fierce fire fleece hooded robe.
He places the book down on his nightstand.
His mask beside it.
His beads are already on the door
moving with the night breeze like purple butterfly wings.
With the cloister so quiet
he ruminates
on his own paradise lost.

Andrew Embry 2010

(Shy Guy) Unzipping Closed Secrets

He only speaks before bedtime.
Shy Guy whispers secrets into ziploc bags.
Presses his fingers hard together
sealing every last syllable in tight.

She receives the gift.
Shy Guy blushes burgundy in a white mask.
Surprise!
How can empty ziploc bags weigh so much?

Andrew Embry 2010

Super Mario Odyssey and Leveraging Strengths (3-9-22)

Last week was about Luigi and being brave. This week is about Super Mario Odyssey and leveraging strengths.

Super Mario Odyssey is one of the more recent Mario games. In this game you are able to throw your hat to “capture” enemies. Once you capture them, you become them and gain all of their abilities. For example, you might need to swim deep underwater. Mario can’t do that, because he has to breathe. However, if you become the fish enemy (see pic of fish in the middle) you can swim underwater indefinitely. On the other hand, maybe you need to fly. You could capture a flying goomba (see bottom middle of pic), and all of a sudden you have wings to get you where you need to go. The fish’s powers are awesome, but they won’t help you fly. Likewise, leveraging the talents of the flying goomba is cool, until you need to swim.

What does this have to do with anything? In order to be successful in this game, you have to leverage the strengths of different characters. We may not be able to throw our hats and capture the strengths of others, but we can make sure we are building teams that have people with different strengths. We can also make sure that we are putting people in situations that maximize their strengths.

Have you ever been in a role or situation at work that made the most of your strengths? What did that feel like? I love being in that situation. I find myself in flow states, where the work is hard, but it also feels effortless. My energy is limitless and my engagement is through the roof. I’m at the top of my game in those roles. Not only am I performing at a high level, but I’m doing it in a way that brings a little extra magic to the situation that has positive ripple effects across everything I touch. As a result, the organization benefits because it gets the most out of what I can uniquely provide. On the flip side, have you ever been in a role or situation at work that didn’t make the most of your strengths? What did that feel like? I’ve been there. It’s nowhere near as engaging. In fact, I’ve found those situations to be draining and frustrating. Sure, in those situations I’ve been able to do the work and perform, but there is a difference between being able to do the job and performing in a way that brings extra magic. In these situations the organization loses, because the value I provided in that role was nowhere near the value I could have provided in a role that leveraged my talents.

The challenges: Are you recognizing the strengths of yourself and others? Are you building teams filled with different people with different talents? Are you putting yourself and others in a situation where we can leverage our strengths?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Luigi, Fear, and Bravery

Last week was about Super Mario, Super Stars, and recognizing we can’t be invincible all the time. This week is about Luigi, fear, and bravery.

In case you aren’t familiar, in the Super Mario series, Mario (in red) has a brother named Luigi (in green). Mario is typically player 1 and Luigi is player 2. Mario is portrayed as a happy go lucky hero, always there to save the day. Luigi is typically portrayed as anxious, nervous, and afraid. He gets startled and scared easily. They both end up saving the Mushroom Kingdom and other kingdoms on their joint and solo adventures.

At the surface level, Mario is the hero we all want to be. He always seems to be confident and sure of himself, saving the day with a smile on his face. However, I’d argue that Luigi is actually the braver hero. Luigi is consumed by fear, yet he understands that his mission (saving the kingdom, his friends, and/or his brother) is worth fighting for. Luigi is terrified, AND he continues to step into scary and difficult situations in order to do the right thing. Luigi might be player 2, but he’s number 1 in my heart 😉 #smooth

What does this have to do with anything? Similar to Mario and Luigi, it’s easy to assume that bravery and heroism looks like the outwardly confident person who saves the day. However, this isn’t the only way to be a hero. Often, the real hero is the one who faces their own fears, their own personal demons, and keeps moving forward. This is the person who says, “This is going to be an uncomfortable discussion, AND I’m going to lean into it anyway.” or “I’m afraid of this challenge before me, AND I’m still going to tackle it.” Whenever you feel fear in your life, I hope you’re like Luigi. I hope you allow that feeling to wash over you, AND still find a way to take a step forward.

The challenge: How can you better embrace your inner Luigi to be brave in the midst of fear?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Super Mario, Super Stars, and Invincibility

This week I’d like to kick off a series inspired by the Super Mario Brothers video game series. This week is about Mario, Super Stars, and invincibility.

Super Stars have been a staple of many Super Mario Brothers games. Once Mario grabs a Super Star, he becomes faster and INVINCIBLE, able to run through bad guys and projectiles without taking any damage. The only problem is that the Super Star is NOT permanent. The moment you activate a Super Star you only have a few seconds before the effects wear off. While the Super Star might provide a temporary boost, it’s not enough to get you to your ultimate goal. Sooner or later you become vulnerable again. If you keep trying to run through bad guys and obstacles the way you did when you were invincible your character will get hurt and eventually lose. Once you’re vulnerable again, you have to engage with the challenges instead of being able to hide behind the mask of invincibility.

How does this connect with anything? Similar to Mario, I’ve had periods of time where I make myself invincible. I convince myself that I can’t be hurt. I convince myself I don’t get tired. I shut my mind off to anything unpleasant and just keep pushing forward running through anything and everything in my path. At the same time, I ignore all that is truly happening around me and the impact it has on me. Do you ever do this?

I don’t think invincibility is all bad. There are times when we need that Super Star invincibility. There are times when we need to just plow forward for short bursts to get through something. At the same time, we can’t be invincible forever. Sooner or later, we have to remove the mask of invincibility and engage with life’s challenges as vulnerable people.

The challenge: Do you accept that you can’t always be invincible? How will you embrace the challenges of life as a vulnerable human?

Confession: I don’t know about you, but life has been extra crazy lately. I feel I’ve been tapping into invincible star power to push through for a few weeks. Now, I can feel that invincibility fading. When I was younger, I’d ignore that sign and run myself into the ground. But now, I’m already trying to make mental space to slow down, regroup, rest, and figure things out. If you’re feeling like your Super Star power is fading out, I hope you make room to rest and recover too.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Even Evil Fish have Birthdays (1-15-20)

Last week was about Tetris and building the right foundation. This week is about Super Mario and seeing the humanity in evil fish.

A few years ago I was playing Super Mario Brothers with my wife. In case you’re not familiar with the game, it’s your job to rescue the Princess from King Koopa. You play through a variety of levels to accomplish this task, including the dreaded water levels. We were at a water level, and to say it caused my wife to be anxious would be an understatement. She is terrified of any water level in video games. There is something about how the fish can move faster than your character that creeps her out. Anyway, we were in a level where this giant fish would jump out of the water and swallow you whole.

This fish terrified her. It got her every time and at one point, my wife got extremely frustrated and talked about how much she hated the fish. I said something along the lines of, “Come on, don’t hate the fish. Even evil fish have birthdays,” trying to make a joke about how even an evil fish shares something in common with her. She laughed, and now that quote hangs on one of the walls in our house.

So what does this have to do with anything? Although I said it jokingly, the point behind the comment was still true. Just because this fish thwarted her at every turn, didn’t mean she needed to hate it. This fish she completely opposed and her had at least something in common. Throughout my life I’ve found that when you disagree with someone, it’s easy to paint them in a horrible light. It’s easy to forget they are also human, and once you forget their humanity, it’s easy to turn them into a monster. Once they are a monster, it’s easier to hate them. It’s easier to justify treating them poorly. It’s easier to no longer feel like they deserve any amount of love, respect, or empathy. I imagine as you read this, a few dozen examples jump to your mind.

The challenge in all of this is remembering that the people you disagree with, even the people who are totally different from you are still human, and until we connect as humans it’s often difficult to move forward. The challenge: Will you strive to see the humanity in others?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Video Game Lessons Part 1 Our Princess is in another Castle… (10-12-16)

This week I’d like to kick off a series about the lessons I’ve learned from playing video games. This week is about tenacity and Super Mario Brothers and is partially inspired by a recent conversation I had with someone about driving to achieve lofty goals that always seem out of reach.

In case you’re not familiar with the game, you play as Mario, a plumber who somehow got transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Evil King Koopa has kidnapped the Princess and it’s up to you to save her. To save her you will have to defeat enemies across multiple stages of the Mushroom Kingdom. You’ll have to go down pipes, eat flowers that allow you to throw fire, eat mushrooms that make you grow, and you’ll have to go toe to toe with King Koopa. I remember being a 4 or 5 year old, defeating some levels, and beating Koopa in my first castle. After I beat him I was taken to a room where I received the message, “Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!” Wait. What!?!?

That’s right. I’d survived the perils of the Mushroom Kingdom. I’d defeated who I thought was King Koopa only to learn that my journey wasn’t over yet. I celebrated the fact that I had saved Toad and had beaten the first castle. Then, I realized I had more enemies to defeat, more castles to conquer, more difficulties ahead of me. This was one of my earliest lessons in tenacity and perseverance, because the game doesn’t get easier. In fact, it gets more difficult. After hours of playing and trying, I eventually was able to defeat all the levels and save the Princess, which made me feel pretty awesome about my 4 or 5 year old self.

So what does this have to do with work? The work we do isn’t easy and the goals we set for ourselves are rarely easily achieved. How often do you reach the peak of a summit in your work to realize that the “princess” is in another castle? When you see this you have two options. The first option is to quit. The second option is to celebrate how far you’ve come and then grab a fire flower, start throwing fireballs, and continue on until you finally achieve your goal.

The challenge: Are you willing to put in the work to reach your goals “in another castle”?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry