HBR On Strategy

Stress Test Your Strategy Before It Fails

215 snips
Jun 4, 2025
Arjan Singh, a consultant and adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, discusses the critical need for businesses to adopt a military-style approach to strategizing. He emphasizes how corporate war games can effectively stress-test strategies against market changes and competitors. Singh shares insights on innovative transportation models and the importance of adaptability during crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlights how developing actionable playbooks from wargaming can drive organizational success by revealing blind spots in decision-making.
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ADVICE

Allocate Time and Foster Challenging Culture

  • Allocate sufficient time and resources; rushed games undermine value.
  • Foster a culture open to challenging assumptions, avoiding hierarchical defensiveness.
ADVICE

Prepare Participants with Briefings

  • Provide briefing documents with background and competitive intelligence.
  • Customize depth based on participant familiarity with the market.
ADVICE

Structure Wargames for Action

  • Start games with strategy formulation and define what winning means for each player.
  • Iterate strategies with feedback and competitor moves, then conclude with actionable next steps and assigned responsibilities.
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