Do you have a clear strategy that can be communicated in meaningful language throughout your organisation? Have you thought of using a business strategy game to help convey your strategy, build commitment and understanding to ensure successful implementation? A business strategy game will develop the decision-making skills of your staff and help ensure the results are aligned.
As well as inspiring staff with a sense of purpose, your strategy should be the foundation on which everyone in the organisation bases their decisions. While the principal purpose may be ingrained within the organisation, the strategy is often the responsibility of the senior team and may change every few years. Are the middle managers, who will translate the strategy into tangible actions and provide direction for their teams, being kept in the loop?
Transcript for the Business Strategy Game video.
A business strategy game will provide the opportunity for participants to discuss real business issues, whilst working together to evaluate the options and make decisions aligned to the overall strategy.
As part of the activity your managers will develop the helicopter thinking required to move beyond functional management and to see the organisation as a whole. Participants will experience the difficulty of setting a successful strategy when faced with a constantly changing competitive environment. They will also have the opportunity to translate a high-level conceptual strategy into concrete actions for their own business unit and team, developing their decision making skills.
Well-designed business strategy games will help participants to appreciate the importance of the strategy and highlight the types of trade-off required, showing that with limited resources not all projects can be pursued. Participants will recognise that the final decision often involves a compromise between what is required for the overall organisation and individual preferences. The key is rational debate with compromise so everyone understands why the decision was taken and can commit to seeing it through.
If you want your strategy to be a success then creation is only the first step. The strategy needs to be actively communicated to all levels of management on a regular basis. Only by doing this will it become a living breathing guide for decision making.
Read The Role of Middle Management in Delivering the Business Strategy for more information.