Guess what happened in the EY (Ernst & Young) headquarters’ meeting room «Tokyo» onWednesday, July 17, 2013? Do you think finance gurus gathered to bring the results of the next audit or to discuss plans for the next financial year? None of the above! Once half of the office goes home, at 6:30 PM those who in the guise of a respectable and professional financier hide thirst for the intellectual challenges and the need to improve their communication skills begin to gather. They are joined by their counterparts in intellectual “battle” from the English Mafia Club Kiev, and the result is a great party with intellectual game Mafia in English! That’s how the financial consulting gurus rest at the peak of the week!
Since this is not the first year hobby of the EY employees, the majority of visitors already know how to play Mafia game.
SO! The situation in the 1st game was not easy as the Sheriff, Mr. Advocate, was killed on the first night. Moreover, on the eve of that, in the first game day, the mafia has managed to persuade the true Sheriff to check a peaceful citizen. That helped the Mafia to stay in the shade for the rest citizens. Before leaving, Mr. Advocate, of course, said that Salieri was “Red” (means “citizen”). Salieri was so glad because of confidence and sense of power that he was at about to put his legs on the table … But his joy was short-lived, as by unwritten rule of the game – Mafia should shoot the checked “Red” the next, in fact, that is exactly what happened the next night. One day, the mafia has managed to provoke the killing of a Citizen, which gave them an additional advantage. Despite the complexity of the situation, the “Reds” were smart enough to get rid of two “Blacks” (Mafia members).
In the decisive day at the table were Ms. Bonnie, Ms. Freeta (remaining Mafia member) and Mr. Alessandro. There were a lot of arguments in favour of and against each other, but eventually the “female solidarity” has won, and together with is the Mafia team! Despite the loss Ms. Bonnie was satisfied with the game, as the pleasure of intellectual tension in the negotiations was for her, apparently, more important than the victory pleasure. I would also like to add that making mistakes is almost the only way to learn and progress in the negotiations. So, dear members of our English speaking club in Kiev, make your mistakes! Be mistaken, playing mafia! It is only a matter of time when there will be fewer deficiencies and you will move to the next level as a negotiator, leader and psychologist.
As for the other games, there were situations when the “Reds” have left the last Mafia members no other option than to shoot themselves… The Mafia took the challenge and honestly relieved the “city” from its presence.
However, Ms. Marula “rehabilitated with a vengeance” in another game, having shot all Citizens brutally, without exception! Ms. Nina Ricci and Mr. Fibonacci hoped for mercy, but alas, it has gone and in the final voting the majority of votes came to the “Red.” More than that! Two Mafia members had an opportunity to win the game earlier, but Ms. Marula did not want to share the victory with anyone. Natural and healthy greed to her rightful “laurels”, apparently forced her to remove a Mafia member and get all the “orders” for herself. That was risky, but the game was superb, and all had worried for the outcome. Of course in the voting for the best Mafia team player the democracy was not meant and Ms. Marula deservedly took the title.
The evening ended on a positive game in the Russian language. Sometimes it happens that the game moderators in the English Mafia Club remember the Russian language. That usually happens either during the corporate Mafia events or as a kind of the diversity and enjoyable end of the evening, as it happened in EY this time…
Author: Eugene Bazhenov
Translation is done by Alessandro
July 19, 2013.