Rachel Way, Management Consultant, Quest Worldwide presented 'War Gaming – The How-To For Getting It Right'

1. Rachel Way | Quest Worldwide | Mumbrella 360 | June 2019
The How-To For Getting It
Right

3. Who am I?

4. Practice

5. Practice

6. 1
2
3
4
5
What is Competitive Intelligence (and how can you “ethically spy”)?
What is War Gaming?
When and why do we deploy War Games?
For the Love of Chocolate
How do we get it right?
6
7
8
9
How can we get it wrong?
What impact can it have on your business?
Why is it so often overlooked?
What can I do tomorrow?
Q&A10

7. What is Competitive
Intelligence? (And
how can you “ethically
spy”?)
1

8. 8
Competitive Intelligence is the creation of actionable insights
about a company’s external environment which enables them to
better anticipate external change and outsmart the competition

9. Creation of insights
about your
competitive landscape

10. Top tips for
competitive
intelligence research
ALWAYS abide by the law
and your company’s
code of conduct
1
The internet and social
media can be your best
friend
2
Talk to people in your
company – they often
know much more than
you realise
3

11. Top tips for
competitive
intelligence research
ALWAYS abide by
the law and your
company’s code of
conduct
4

12. Creation of insights
that are ACTIONABLE

13. What is War Gaming?2

14. 14
“If you know the enemy
and know yourself, you
need not fear the result
of a hundred battles.”
“The great strategist first
wins the victory in the
temple rehearsal of the
battle, and then enters the
competition. Those destined
for defeat first enter the
competition and then seek
victory.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 6th century BC

15. 15
A War Game is a structured, facilitated ‘live simulation’ workshop.
Grounded in fact-based insights and using role play, it allows
participants to predict and plan for future activity in the competitive
landscape

16. 18
Typical War
Game
Structure Round 1 Panel
Key learnings
& Round 2 Priorities
Round 1
Team working sessions
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
TeamPresentations
Round 2 Panel
Key learnings
& Round 3 Priorities
Round 2
Team working sessions
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
TeamPresentations
Round 3 Panel
Key Actions
& Next Steps
Round 3
Team working sessions
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
TeamPresentations

17. Purposeful intent to take you outside
your comfort zone

18. When and Why Do We
Deploy War Games?
3

19. 1. ON THE OFFENCE
When you plan to disrupt
the market

20. 2. ON THE DEFENCE
When one+ of your
competitors is likely to
disrupt the market

21. 3. REALIGNMENT
When an industry player
makes a change that will likely
see a shift in competitive
dynamics

22. For the love of chocolate4

23. 26

24. How Do We Get It Right?5

25. i. Use them sparingly –
avoid War Games
Fatigue
Rachel to check v word doc

26. ii. Prepare for them
properly

27. iii. Entrust a safe pair
of hands to facilitate
them
Right
information
Right people Right Process
Focused
Energy+ + + Great
Result=

28. iv. Use role-play to
think outside the box
Image – dress ups
eg something like
this
https://www.gettyi
mages.com.au/detai
l/photo/little-
supers-royalty-free-
image/153793201?
adppopup=true

29. v. Embrace the art of
the SWAG

30. vi. Make as many
actionable decisions and
commitments as you can
on the day

31. How Can We Get it
Wrong?
6

32. i. When a War Game is not
the right solution to your
problem

33. ii. When your scope is
too broad or
inadequately defined
I searched “messy map”
and quite like this
https://www.gettyimages.c
om.au/detail/photo/abstrac
t-design-of-dark-powder-
explosion-royalty-free-
image/1145923920?adppo
pup=true

34. iii. When you are not
committed to doing the
upfront industry &
competitor research

35. iv. When you cannot get the
right people to (fully)
attend

36. v. When it won’t make any
meaningful difference to
business decisions /
outcomes

37. vi. When your issue is
comparatively a low
business priority
Image of something very
small vs lots of bigger
things (eg building v
skyscaper?)

38. vii. When you don’t have an
impartial facilitator
Image of a sports umpire
or a judge?

39. viii. When you have great
learnings, insights and
debate but no tangible,
actionable outputs

40. ix. When you don’t abide by
your company’s code of
conduct/ legal obligations

41. What impact can it have
on your business?
7

42. A greater understanding of your true relative strengths
and weaknesses, and knowledge of your intelligence
gaps

43. A common understanding of when, where and how
extra resourcing really will make a difference, and
when or where it will not

44. The ability to course-correct before the real situation
occurs in market, saving time, money and resources

45. Greater buy-in and internal alignment behind strategic
choices, leading to greater energy behind execution

46. Competitive advantage
= in-market success

47. Why are Competitive
Intelligence and
War Games so often
overlooked?
8

48. 1. The optimism bias

49. 2. Poor research &
analytical capability

50. 3. Discomfort with
imperfect information

51. What can you do about it,
tomorrow?
9

52. Rachel’s Top Tips

53. 1.
Become the ‘voice of the competitor’ within your company – where might
bringing the external perspective in add value?

54. 2.
Think about who and what are the biggest competitive threats right now
to your business – keep a list, share it with colleagues and update it
regularly

55. 3.
Keep an active watch on your identified list. Every time you find out new
information, think:
• What’s the ‘so what’? Why is this important?
• Who in my organisation needs to know this & what might they do as a
result?

56. 4.
War Game out your big plays, or those of your competitors – practice on
your terms, not theirs

57. Level 6, 69 Reservoir Street
SURRY HILLS NSW 2O10 AUSTRALIA | + 61 2 9904 8488
www.quest-worldwide.com
Inspiring businesses to be their best
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