Great Game of Life Essay Example

The Great Game of Life represents the core culture at Simmons, and the values of that culture have to be communicated constantly and consistently to get results.

To communicate in simple terms what the company is about, Eitel developed the acronym C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Each letter represents a company value —
Caring – is about making decisions that demonstrate that you care about the associates who work at Simmons, the business, and the customer
History – utilizing the history of the company and applying learning’s from the past to make decisions for the future
Opportunity – maximizing the opportunity to think “outside of the box,” to explore new ideas, be receptive to new concepts and be willing to share and listen to others
Innovation – embracing innovation through creative thinking, building off each other’s ideas and rewarding risk taking on your team
Customers – keeping your customer first in your thoughts and decision-making process
Empowerment – understanding that empowerment is freedom with fences and exactly what those fences are that you have the power to make decisions within
Support – provide support for each other through the decision-making process and once the team has made a decision, support it with passion
It is a simple, straightforward way for the Simmons’ management team to communicate the company philosophy to thousands of employees.
The Great Game of Life (GGOL) was the step taken in this regard. The GGOL was a program that was designed to encourage teamwork and enhance team performance. Teams were made to perform tasks that would have individually, so far, been impossible to do. The purpose was to reiterate the virtues of interdependence, coordination and coexistence. Tasks that seemed daunting were made simple by teamwork and encouragement. The employees were motivated by these experiences and extend it to their work as well. The purpose was to enhance inter-team and intra-team interaction in order to facilitate improved customer