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Turn analysis into deliberate strategic choices.
Playing to Win is a structured approach to strategy development based on five key questions. Developed by Roger Martin and AG Lafley, this framework helps teams make deliberate, practical choices about how to win - rather than simply planning or setting vague goals.
Playing to Win is centred around five interlinked questions that form a 'strategy cascade', a chain of choices that build on one another:
This module works well when teams need to move from analysis to decision-making. It follows naturally after tools like SWOT, Strategy Radar or Scenario Planning.
It's especially useful when:
The Playing to Win framework is best tackled as a group conversation, ideally with a facilitator to challenge thinking, keep momentum, and ensure the team doesn't settle for vague answers. It invites trade-offs, forces clarity, and lays the groundwork for action.
It can be used at the organisational level, or zoomed in to apply to a product, project or team. In every case, it moves the conversation from "what could we do?" to "what will we do, and why?"
To see the framework applied, I've written up eight worked strategy cascades, from Lego to Greggs, each with its What Would Have to Be True tests. The same page has a free cascade builder that walks you through the questions and emails you your draft as a PDF.
Use Playing to Win when a team is ready to move from analysis to decision. The five linked questions, from winning aspiration through where to play and how to win, force the trade-offs that turn a pile of insight into a strategy the team can act on and defend.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
