By Juliet Soh

Are you hooked on Draw Something, a game application that many people can’t seem to get their fingers (or stylus) away from? Don’t worry, there are many more around the world suffering the same fate as you.

However, don’t fret if you think you’re wasting your precious time away drawing your latest Lady Gaga masterpiece for your friends; there are actually nuggets of wisdom that you can pick up in the game! Here are five career lessons that you can derive from Draw Something:

1. Teamwork matters
Are you capable of drawing a fabulous painting people would mistake for Da Vinci’s? Or will your drawings be mistaken for pre-historic scrawling? It doesn’t matter. No matter how fantastic your drawing is, it all comes to naught if your friend doesn’t understand what you’re trying to draw across. Similarly, if your friend understands your Neanderthal efforts, then that’s all that matters. Don’t get mad over people not watching you draw till the end because the aim of the game is to guess it right – and then you’d get your additional streak and you earn coins.

Apply it to work: Remember, it’s not just about you but how well you work with another person performing a different function. We know it can be frustrating because you want people to know how good you are at what you do, but if you wish your bosses would show more appreciation for your efforts, read the next point.

2. Remind people how good you are
You must have seen Bobby’s Draw Something tumblr and maybe even started a photo album on Facebook sharing screenshots of your best Draw Something pictures. Revel in the compliments! Who knew you could draw, right?

Apply it to work: Do the same with your achievements at work. Did your client write you a thank-you note? Reply him and copy your boss in the email! Another good way to remind your boss of your achievements is to compile it into a short summary to share it with him or her before your appraisal.

3. Learn how to deal with different people
Pick a question that you think your friend would know. If you know your friend isn’t a music fan, then don’t bother drawing “Taylor” (Swift) for him. Feel free to utilise inside jokes in your drawings if you think your friend would understand.

Apply it to work: In our careers, we will meet people who are different from us. Try to understand them and find out what makes them tick. Learn the best ways to deal with them, and you’ll get the work done more efficiently.

4. Invest in what helps you advance
Now that you’ve acquired coins in Draw Something, it’s time to get some swag. Go for a colour pack that gives you the most variety and carries the colours green and orange (it’s difficult to present certain ideas without these two shades!)

Apply it to work: Look out for and attend courses that are related to your job function. Ask your manager or your HR colleagues if the company can subsidise the classes. If the course is really beneficial, chances are the company may be willing to! And it’s good to show your boss that you have initiative and are willing to upgrade your skills.

5. Practice makes perfect
Remember the first time you played Draw Something? You didn’t know that your friend was going to watch a video of you drawing, so you took your time familiarising with the thickness of the pen and the different functions on the board. Remember how you fumbled, trying to draw “Shrek” right? Now that “Shrek” has appeared for the fourth time, you could draw a perfect one in less than 30 seconds.

Apply it to work: Don’t worry if you’ve been given new responsibilities which you’ll have trouble getting right the first few times. Practise a few more times and eventually you’ll get extremely familiar with it. Be proactive and ask for opportunities to expand your scope of work so that you can get more practice sessions – you can only get better!

[Photo: Credits to businessinsider.com]

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