
HBR On Strategy Stress Test Your Strategy Before It Fails
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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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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.
Prepare Participants with Briefings
- Provide briefing documents with background and competitive intelligence.
- Customize depth based on participant familiarity with the market.
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.




