BINDRA: Does your organization play snakes and ladders?

Do you remember Snakes and Ladders? At the time when board games were pretty much the only indoor games we had, this one was a favorite. You tried to advance on a board by throwing dice; on your way, put ladders (which helped you jump several levels); and some naughty snakes (which made you tumble again).

Recently, I came across a version for the modern era (courtesy of damned.com). It's what's called "Corporate Snakes & Ladders" and it describes the hilarious journey from intern to CEO in a typical big company.

So what "ladders" meets our eager young intern – the things that vault you into higher grades without needing to wait for years? It was a very priceless list.

You can get a promotion quickly if the following conditions apply to you: you are ready to work on a Sunday; the CEO is your dad's friend; you join a working group that is evaluated by the higher echelons; or you ask a good (and probably safe) question in a town hall meeting that makes you notice by the CEO.

These things could make you jump in middle management. From there, a new set of scales are available. You go even higher if: you suck bosses like a star; you get competitive job offers that you can use to get promotions; and you know how to win at office politics.

Now let's look at snakes – the traps limiting the career that are waiting for you. Earlier in your career, it would be: lies on your resume are discovered; HR receives complaints about you forget about "CYA" (ahem); or you are drunk during an offsite session and you abuse your boss.

If you survive these and you go out to management, you may face other dangers: the CEO does not like you; the economy is down and the board needs a scapegoat; you commit a regulatory offense and go to jail (this game was clearly not designed in Kenya!); you lose a power struggle in a meeting room; or the best of all – you go down for no reason …

Real rings, huh? But are you laughing or crying?

In the middle of hilarity, it is worth stopping to think. Why are we building institutions like these? Because do not get me wrong, most of these things are true. I have seen them almost all happen, across organizations and across continents.

Part of the problem is simple and can be summed up in two words: human beings. We are mostly flawed and most petty creatures. We are suspicious and selfish; we play favorites and suffer from rooted preconceptions; we are the victims of a multitude of cognitive biases. It should not be surprising that our institutions are generally hotbeds of politics and prejudice. The real surprise is that we can make everything work.

And yet we claim: we claim to build meritocracies; we claim to pay for performance; we claim to believe in the fairness of the reward; we claim to have company values. Behind these smoke screens, the usual pettiness is at stake.

The real game in organizations is a bigger play: one that tries at least, sincerely and significantly, to create a workplace that gives meaning to the life of it. This is actually possible;

A bigger business in the workplace is focused on a real cause, a life that improves lives, a person who really believes that humans can be better and do better. This is not a focus on personal bonuses and promotions. The few leaders who can enlist others in a mission to do something deep are those who create standout organizations that transcend generations. The rest? Well, they play snakes and ladders of business.

For what kind of organization do you work? Is it the one that rewards the kiss from behind, the one in which politics and power games can take you away? Or who is really interested in the personal development of the multitude, not just the small number? Whatever it is, it's a reflection of its leaders. Leaders have the power to set standards, demonstrate true values, control bad behavior, reward virtue.

Most run organizations that look like childish games, where your words matter more than your actions; where you must make powerful allies to be noticed; where the spin makes you promote faster than the substance.

Being in these organizations too long, it is losing a life.