I am the proud grandmother of 4 -- 3 boys and 1 girl. Two of the boys just turned 5 and one is 8. We invested in a Playstation3 last fall to keep the boys amused when they came to our house. While I resisted anything remotely close to a Playstation3 for years, I finally caved in realizing the boys needed something more entertaining than the board games and building blocks I provided.

I have always felt that children should use their imaginations and be creative; not just be entertained by something on the TV screen. Yet my grandchildren have been exposed to numerous forms of action, interaction, technology, media, and stimulation beyond what I ever experienced as a child. Or to clarify, I was very active with swimming, skiing, racquetball, tennis, and riding my bike!

For months, I let the boys play the games on the Playstation3 by themselves and occasionally watched. But I am an adventurous grandmother and wanted to participate with the kids so I eagerly jumped in playing the games the past month. I have to tell you that I have an entirely new appreciation for the speed and accuracy of which my grandchildren operate. They far surpass me in any game. They know everything about what is going on in the game and quickly jump to the next action without even reading what is on the screen. It is quite funny when we play. They are trying to tell me what to do like push the Z key, grandma or hit the A button. I don't even know where half these buttons are on the remote let alone know which one to press. But I am learning and laughing along the way.

Why am I telling you this? What is my point besides a funny story?

It reminds of something I shared years ago when I gave speeches on paradigms, beliefs and change. Here is the scenario:

Imagine that you're an ace at the game of checkers. Let's say you've been playing for years, and you know how to win. But what if your opponent insisted on switching to a video game? Your expertise on the checkerboard wouldn't count for much, would it?

You need faster reflexes. A very different approach. And no matter how savvy you were at the checkers strategy, you'd have to make a big mental shift to be good with a joystick. If checkers is a game of deliberation, strategy, and planning, the modern video game is all about speed, adaptability, and responsiveness. Quick trumps careful.

This is not to say that one game is harder than the other. Video games are just very different from checkers. We need to embrace new rules . . . operate according to a different set of assumptions regarding how the game is played . . . think and see differently.

What is the importance of this to administrative assistants and executive assistants? Why should anyone in the administrative profession care about checkers or video games?

Can you guess?

First, depending on which generation you come from, you will be more adept at one over the other: checkers (a game of strategy and planning) or video games (speed). But we need both no matter which generation we come from. When I see how accurate and quick my grandsons are (and they are only 5 and 8), I am amazed. Yes, I'm a lot older than them but the skills for the video games are different. On the other hand, I can say that my little ones can't sit still for too long and focus so they will have to develop that to be successful in school and business. And yes, they are kids, but can you just envision the difference between playing Candy Land and video games?

Second, no matter how savvy of an assistant you have been, this is a new decade with new demands on your role. Don't be afraid to jump in and try things. You probably won't get it perfect the first time or the second time. Take that challenge to heart and turn it into a game of learning.