Playing to Win is centred around five interlinked questions that form a ‘strategy cascade’, a chain of choices that build on one another:

1. What is our winning aspiration?
   What does success look like for us — not just surviving, but winning?
2. Where will we play?
   What markets, segments, customers or geographies will we focus on?
3. How will we win?
   What’s our unique approach that will give us an edge?
4. What capabilities must be in place?
   What do we need to be good at to deliver our strategy?
5. What systems and enablers support this?
   What structures, tools, processes or culture will support execution?

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:

• A team is trying to refocus after a period of drift
• There are too many competing priorities
• Leadership wants a sharper answer to "what exactly are we trying to do?"

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?”