GoT in the workplace

What are we going to do now Game of Thrones is over?

With the wrap up of season 7, many of us are left thirsty for more ice dragons, blood, battles and betrayal. What we will do until season 8 ruins our lives all over again? We have so many questions that need answers! But one question we haven’t asked ourselves is, what can we learn from Game of Thrones?

Apart from the obvious:We should all start communicating via ravens. Everyone should research their family tree before getting it on. Love is messy. Don’t dismiss the seemingly unrealistic (no-one believed Dany’s dragons were real until they were literally burnt to a crisp. Have a little hope!)

There are some less obvious lessons that have been provided by the characters we’ve grown to love and hate. Throughout the entire series, whether we’ve loved them or loathed them, whether they have been successful or have failed, they have all strategized! It is the ‘game’ of thrones after all.

Those that didn’t, well they got a little carried away with the adrenaline, they didn’t think ahead and we all know how that ends!

So to survive the in long term (7 whole seasons – a good running for GoT), our heroes and heroines have strategically played their way to their individual thrones.

Let’s take note from our headstrong Queen Daenerys; it’s taken her 7 seasons to go from zero to hero. Planning, patience, determination and good morals (until season 7, ‘The Spoils of War’) have got her to where she is today. Building an empire takes time, you need to use what resources you have available to you and build up your reputation before charging ahead full force.

With a well thought out and established content strategy we can create our own marketing route. Like the creator himself George R. R. Martin: Do the unexpected, shock your audience, you want to engage them, bring them along on your quest and then retain them. Dany has found her niche; what makes her different and she is using it to her advantage. It helps that she’s got dragons. Solid content that conveys your foundational message will eventually support your niche over different platforms and across a range of demographics.

Take Jon Snow throughout the past 7 seasons, people respect him for his sometimes foolish honesty.

To be trusted, you must be honest, remain genuine and true to yourself. Clients that trust your services or products usually end up staying loyal to your brand. Whilst being realistic in your sales pitch may make your job a little bit harder, it results in a client that remains with you longer.

Finally; it’s important to always weigh up the risk verses the reward when making significant decisions. Take burning your daughter at the stake in the hope that you’ll defeat a colossal army, you’ve got to ask yourself; is it really worth it?!

So next time you’re sat around the board table or having your Monday planning sesh, envisage yourself looking out over your world map strategically moving around your players deciding what marketing plan to tackle next (or kingdom to destroy).