Traditional Indian Games: How It Can Work To Build Strategies In Today’s Workplace

Traditional Indian Games

Introduction:

In today’s corporate environment, building effective strategies is crucial for success. While modern team-building activities and corporate events are popular, traditional Indian games can offer valuable lessons in strategy development. These age-old games not only provide entertainment but also serve as a platform to develop important skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making.

In the contemporary workplace, the ability to think strategically is a vital skill for success. While modern team-building activities and corporate events are prevalent, traditional Indian games offer a unique avenue to cultivate strategic thinking among employees. These games, rooted in India’s rich cultural heritage, not only provide entertainment but also harbor valuable lessons in strategy development. In this blog, we will explore how traditional Indian games can unlock strategic prowess in today’s workplace, enabling employees to excel in their professional roles.

Traditional Indian Games

The Art of Strategy in Traditional Indian Games:

Traditional Indian games have stood the test of time, incorporating intricate strategies that stimulate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. These games exemplify the following strategic principles:

  • Anticipation and Adaptation: Games like Chess, Pachisi, and Chaturanga require players to anticipate their opponent’s moves and dynamically adapt their strategies accordingly. Similarly, in the workplace, employees who can foresee challenges and adapt swiftly can make informed decisions, maximize opportunities, and stay ahead of the curve.
  • Risk Assessment and Decision-Making: Traditional games such as Dhaadi and Bagh Chal demand astute risk assessment and decision-making skills. The ability to evaluate potential outcomes, weigh risks, and make calculated choices is equally important in the corporate world. By honing these skills through traditional games, employees can become adept at making strategic decisions in complex business scenarios.
Traditional Indian Games

Team Building and Collaboration:

Traditional Indian games emphasize teamwork, collaboration, and effective communication. These attributes are equally crucial in today’s workplace, where cross-functional teams work together to achieve shared goals. By engaging in team-building games rooted in Indian tradition, such as Kabaddi and Lagori, employees learn to collaborate, enhance trust, and collectively strategize to overcome challenges.

Emotional Intelligence and Empathy:

Traditional Indian games often require players to understand their opponents’ perspectives, anticipate their moves, and develop empathy. By cultivating emotional intelligence through games like Solah Seedhi and Pallankuzhi, employees can develop a deeper understanding of their colleagues, fostering stronger relationships, effective negotiation skills, and cohesive teamwork.

Applying Traditional Games in the Workplace:

To harness the power of traditional Indian games for strategic development in the workplace, consider the following approaches:

  • Team-Building Workshops: Organize team-building workshops that incorporate traditional games like Kho-Kho or Guli Danda. These games encourage participants to collaborate, strategize, and synchronize their efforts, fostering a sense of unity and teamwork.
  • Strategy-based Challenges: Introduce strategy-based challenges inspired by traditional games during corporate events or retreats. For instance, host a Chess or Bagh Chal tournament, encouraging employees to showcase their strategic thinking abilities and compete in a friendly yet intellectually stimulating environment.
  • Learning Through Simulations: Develop interactive simulations that mimic traditional games’ strategic elements. These simulations can help employees practice critical decision-making, adaptability, and risk assessment, providing a safe and engaging environment to learn and refine their strategic skills.

We at The Board Game Co. recently conducted an engagement intervention for our client around the popular traditional Indian games which originated from India like Solah Seedhi, Dhaadi, and Bagh Chal.

Traditional Indian Games

Team Building Games in Office:

  • Solah Seedhi: Solah Seedhi, also known as “Sixteen Squares,” is a traditional Indian board game that requires strategic planning and decision-making. Adapted for the office, Solah Seedhi can be played by dividing employees into teams. This game encourages collaboration, as team members strategize to move their tokens from the starting point to the final square by making calculated moves and anticipating their opponents’ actions.
  • Dhaadi: Dhaadi, a traditional Indian game, is an excellent choice for team building in the office. The Two opposing players are given 9 coins each of two different colours. The players try to move them to get 3 coins in a row. While similar in movement to noughts and crosses, this game is far more complex. The basic aim of a player is to make vertical or horizontal lines with three coins of one colour. This game enhances critical thinking, risk assessment, and decision-making skills, as employees strategize to maximize their chances of winning while considering the consequences of their moves.

Corporate Events:

  • Bagh Chal: Bagh Chal, or “Tiger Goat,” is a traditional two-player board game that requires strategic planning and foresight. Incorporating Bagh Chal into corporate events can foster teamwork, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Employees can form teams and compete against each other, with one team taking the role of tigers and the other as goats. The game encourages collaboration within teams, as well as strategic planning to outwit the opponent and achieve victory.

We played this in the League method. In this method of the tournament, teams and participants individually play all three games and score points. Each game that you play will fetch you points depending upon how you fared against other teams and participants. Finally, all points will be added up to showcase a live leader board and for the Finale. This method engages the entire crowd, keeps them on their toes, and also gets participants to experience most of the games. These team building games in office create a lot of excitement.

Traditional Indian Games

Conclusion:

Traditional Indian games offer a wealth of opportunities for building strategies in today’s workplace. By incorporating team-building games, corporate events, and corporate games inspired by these traditional gems, companies can nurture essential skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making among their employees. Games like Solah Seedhi, Dhaadi, and Bagh Chal showcase the strategic elements deeply embedded in traditional Indian games. Their inclusion in the corporate environment can create an engaging and effective approach to developing a cohesive and high-performing workforce. So, let’s embrace the richness of traditional Indian games and harness their power to build strategies that drive success in the modern workplace.

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