In the game of Tic-Tac-Toe it has been estimated that if two players with intermediate level experience squared off against one another, the odds of it resulting in a tie (called a Cat's Game) is 51 percent of the time.
When two experienced players set up shop for a match, the game will result in a tie 86 percent of the time.
And if two Tic-Tac-Toe experts were to get together, a tie would occur 100 percent of the time.
I like to think that each of us is an expert in being human. You, me, your neighbour, citizens alike...we are experts in being humane. I give each of us the benefit of the doubt. I hope you do, too.
We are the experts to uphold our decency, our morality, our values...our humanity.
If we use Tic-Tac-Toe as a metaphor for the current mode of operations in the new Trump administration, it feels as though there is no longer a chance for a tie. Life is no longer a zero sum game. Society has quickly moved to one where the bully has overtaken the board. Trump seems to hold power over our humanity. He is relishing the moment with hidden tones of fascism.
Society's expert status seems to have eroded. There is no longer a chance for the tie.
We need to fight back. Whatever your nationality and wherever you live, it is time to become an open thinker. The current status quo--of a bully unilaterally in charge of the Tic-Tac-Toe board--must be squashed.
Our humanity depends on it.
It is time we got creative. The bully may be in charge of the board right now, but that doesn't mean we can't think openly and creatively to outwit his rhetoric. It's time to play off the board. It is time to rally.
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Dan Pontefractโs keynote on the importance of workplace culture in employee engagement was excellent. ย Dan used his vast leadership experience to provide our conference attendees with practical strategies to build teams that are engaged and committed. His relatable, real-life examples were thought provoking, memorable and very personal, creating a connection to the audience. I would highly recommend Dan as an entertaining keynote speaker who delivers content that is relevant and actionable.
Michelle Hillyard, Director SCU
We are so proud to have had you at our event. Your talk was a big hit. It moved us. We canโt thank you enough.
Malin Bjรถrnell, Salesforce
Dan challenged us to have clarity of purpose, both as individuals and as an organization. He related inspiring stories drawing on his experience in business, technology and academia. As he said, โThere is no ownership without belonging.โ
Christian Pantel, D2L
Fantastic engaging talk for our global partner summit. Thank you so much, Dan!
Barb Kinnard, CEO Response Biomedical Corp
Dan not only brought his presentation to life with his charisma, but also content, style and presentation finesse. Our members were especially interested in his thought provoking and top of mind topic on the future of work and how weโre going to be leading the next generation of leaders.
Cheryl Goodwin, CPA
Dan is a conference organizerโs ideal speaker. Not only did he inspire and energize our group, but he also masterfully adapted his content so it resonated with the audience and our conference theme. As a bonus, Dan is able to nimbly navigate to adjust to a reduced time slot when other speakers went over time without sacrificing the impact of his session.
Director and General Counsel
Dan accomplished what we set out to do, which was not only to be inspirational, but also to leave everyone with tools and food for thought / self-reflection to improve their personal and professional lives.