by Justin Bookey, author of “Ping Pong Leadership“
The best lies about me are the ones I told. — Patrick Rothfuss
There is unfair competition, and there is effective competition. Outright breaking of rules, misleading others for hurtful advantage or exploitation? That’s not cool. Laws and conventions exist to address major violations. But when is a little misdirection justified? We’re talking about a creative or devious diversion that doesn’t run afoul of the rules, and lets you overcome adversity when your back is against the wall.
It is always wise to lead with your legitimate strengths and play hard and fair, with full transparency. There are times and places, however, to leverage a bit of “trickeration.”
Quite Sporting, Really
The world of sports contains an array of artful misdirection. Think of the gorgeously deceptive footwork in soccer, the trick plays in football (the “quarterback sneak” and “fake field goal” attempt carry the label of trickery in their names), the no-look basketball pass – these are all proud traditions of ingrained deception in sports. Such highly-skilled deception adds flair and spirit to the competition, without creating any perceived unfairness or unearned success.
Table tennis is inherently a game of visual deception, with its myriad spins, real or disguised. One of my mentors, Hall of Famer Larry Hodges, also tells a tale of epic mental trickery at the table.
At one tournament, Hodges faced a talented player who could attack with strong loops (topspinny offensive strokes), and could also break down opponents with relentlessly consistent chops (defensive underspin strokes that lead exasperated opponents to hit the ball into the net). Hodges could handle loops okay, but his specialty was dismantling choppers. So naturally Hodges wanted that player to chop, and keep chopping.
The opponent started out using loops. The first game was close midway through, when he switched to chops, fortunately for Hodges. However, Hodges intentionally did not start to dominate. Knowing he could now win a point fairly easily, he did the opposite. Throughout the match, “I faked all sorts of difficulties,” he recounts. Hodges “strained” to reach the chopped balls. He grunted. He occasionally missed one wildly on purpose, shaking his head and looking confused. His opponent bought the ruse, all while Hodges kept returning just enough winners to keep the score close. Then, miraculously, he pulled out a couple of “lucky” shots to close out and win each game, and the match. “I deserved an Oscar for that performance,” Hodges says with a grin.
While perhaps not as prevalent in business, there are examples of brilliantly executed fake-outs that proved critical to success.
A Holographic Goose Chase
In the 1970s, video game pioneer Nolan Bushnell founded Atari, which created new markets for arcade gaming with breakout hits such as Pong and Space Invaders. Then the video game industry grew cutthroat. Certain large rivals would closely monitor what Atari was up to, and then throw a bunch of money into development to try to leapfrog Atari into production and product release. Bushnell was confident that Atari usually had better gaming tech than its bigger competitors. “The problem was that our competitors usually agreed,” he says.
Atari’s aggressive rivals kept prying for competitive intelligence, as there were huge profits at stake. Bushnell knew he couldn’t outmuscle or outspend them. So, a little creative misdirection seemed in order. Bushnell’s competitors were obviously curious about Atari’s inner workings. Why not let them in – as long as Atari could control the narrative?
Bushnell and colleagues figured it would be useful to spread the notion that 2D video games (Atari’s core business) were just a flash in the pan, and that the next big thing would be 3D gaming based on holograms. In those days, holography was a technological pipe dream, far from feasible. Bushnell envisioned it “as the perfect goose chase: costly, time-consuming, and wonderfully unproductive.”
But how to sell it? It would be too hard to generate a faux hologram game at a trade show or convention, as Atari would have to set up elaborate lighting to pull it off. Instead, they created a beautiful – and fake – hologram game demo at the Atari factory. Bushnell invited select game distributors to tour the factory. They eagerly accepted. He proceeded to show them the usual production lines and talk mundane details. He then casually asked if they’d like to see Atari’s exciting next step in video gaming… confidentially, of course.
As Bushnell predicted, his visitors’ eyes were bigger than their ethics. They rushed off to spill the beans about Atari’s covert operations. Untold hours and dollars were then spent by his rivals on doomed holography R&D – and away from Atari’s actual projects. Later, Bushnell couldn’t help but smile when he saw ungainly, unworkable hologram efforts at gaming trade shows from his would-be competition.
None of this is to say you should aim for deception first. That is one tool, perhaps of last resort, when other alternatives are not available. It’s best to play your game and your strengths honestly and to the best of your ability. But be ready to creatively deceive when necessary, within the rules and your own sense of fair play.
Hitting Above the Belt: A Fair Play Checklist
Make sure your deception really is fair play before you embark on any tricky plans. Seriously weigh the ethical, moral, and personal aspects of any maneuver in addition to its business implications.
- Legality: An obvious absolute. Ensure the planned deception does not violate any laws or regulations.
- Ethical Implications: Assess whether the tactic aligns with your company’s values and ethical standards. Reflect on how comfortable you and your leadership team are with a proposed scheme.
- Necessity: Determine if other transparent and straightforward options have been exhausted.
- Potential Consequences: Evaluate the possible outcomes and risks if the deception is discovered too early, or fails outright.
- Resource Allocation: Assess whether the resources required for the trickery could be better used elsewhere.
- Proportionality: Ensure the scale of deception is proportionate to the threat or challenge faced.
- Harm Assessment: Consider whether the deception could cause unintended harm to stakeholders, the public, or the target of your deception.
- Long-Term Human Impact: Consider the potential long-term effects on your company’s reputation, relationships, and staff morale.
- Internal Communication and Buy-In: Decide how to manage internal knowledge of the plan to maintain integrity. Establish a process for employees to voice concerns or opt out of participating.
- Exit Strategy: Plan how to gracefully exit or pivot from the deception, if necessary.
- Wrap-Up Communication: Plan how to discuss the deception with employees after its conclusion to maintain trust in company values.
As a leader, if you carefully weigh these factors, you can make informed decisions about when and how to employ a little trickeration, while still playing fair.
Justin Bookey is the best-selling author of “Ping Pong Leadership“, a former lawyer, an award-winning marketing strategist, and global ping pong player. He has learned different leadership cultures while studying in India and teaching in Japan, and has played table tennis on seven continents.