Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin define strategy as a set of five choices made to win against competition rather than merely playing for participation. Drawing on their experience at Procter & Gamble, the authors outline a reinforced framework consisting of a winning aspiration, the decision of where to play, and the determination of how to win. The text details how these choices connect to core competencies and specific management systems. It explains the revitalization of brands like Olay and Tide through deliberate trade-offs and the rejection of a "one-size-fits-all" approach to market expansion.
Business leaders and managers read this book to move beyond abstract mission statements into actionable decision-making. Readers walk away with a logic flow for testing strategic theories and a method for aligning an entire organization around common objectives. The book provides a practical vocabulary for evaluating competitive advantages and identifying which product categories or geographic regions to exit. By applying the five-choice model, professionals learn to allocate resources toward specific goals instead of spreading efforts thin across too many initiatives.
Insights from Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
“The consumer is boss.”
Pampers succeeded by focusing on baby development rather than just dryness. Changing the perspective changed the product design.
You need a capability that your competitors simply cannot copy. Without that edge, you are just participating in a market.
Management systems need to support your choices. Even the best plan fails if the daily meetings don't reflect the new goals.
“There is no such thing as a perfect strategy.”
Strategy is never finished or permanent. It is a living theory that you have to test against the real world constantly.
- Published
- 2013
- Language
- EN
