Multinational Corporation Uses Playing to Win Framework to Target Current & Future Market Opportunities
Industry: Manufacturing
Location: Multinational - Based out of Europe
Service: Business Innovation & Strategic Planning Workshop
Results:
Defined five winning aspiration strategies using the Playing to Win framework
Aligned business units under a shared strategic vision
Boosted participant understanding of the department’s strategic direction by 57%, with 9.8/10 satisfaction
The Challenge
A multinational manufacturing company needed to refresh their strategy for 2030 and engaged Bridge to facilitate a Future Lab Workshop to define strategic opportunities that aligned to customer needs and the organization's unique strengths within specialized markets, navigating two fundamental questions:
What is our Winning Aspiration? – Establishing a clear and aspirational vision to lead in particular flooring markets.
Where will we play? – Identifying target segments, channels, and geographic areas aligned with their value propositions.
Bridge Innovate’s challenge was to help the corporation solidify these foundational choices while equipping them to independently build upon this strategy.
The Solution
Leveraging Roger Martin’s Playing to Win framework, Bridge Innovate concentrated on the first two points of the Strategy Choice Cascade, guiding the team through a strategic redefinition of their goals and positioning. The work involved:
Defining the Winning Aspiration
The team collaborated to refine their ambitions as a corporation. With the overall goal of focusing resource allocation into the most profitable avenues, the team prioritized aspects such as speed to market, eliminating complexity and waste, and leveraging key data for accountability and effectiveness.
Defining Where to Play
In small groups, the team analyzed key learnings and strategy drivers to formulate 2-3 strategic value opportunities for 4 different channels. The team then discussed the opportunities, combined several, and then voted on the top 5 to move forward. To mature the opportunity concepts, teams were formed to define winning aspirations for each of the prioritized opportunities. This exercise led to:
Matured Winning Aspirations for Five Prioritized Opportunities
For each prioritized opportunity, the breakout teams completed a winning aspiration assessment which included: A description of the opportunity and its winning aspiration, what the solution would unlock in its applicable channels and segments, what early wins and long-term plays would look like, and what assumptions would need to occur to make the win possible.
The Result
Bridge Innovate’s facilitation of the Playing to Win framework set the corporation on a path toward a more defined strategic plan for winning market opportunities.
The corporation achieved strategic clarity by establishing a shared aspiration and identifying key areas of focus, aligning their business units under a unified vision. With these matured opportunities in hand, the teams are now empowered with a clear roadmap to independently drive their strategy forward. A pre- and post-session assessment demonstrated significant growth, with participants’ awareness of developing a winning strategy increasing by an impressive 57%—from an average score of 5.7 before the session to 9.3 after.
With an average satisfaction score of 9.8/10 for the group, the participants were pleased with the one-day session. One remarked, “Love the commitment, engagement, and sharing across the entire group. Can’t wait to see this vision become closer to reality.” Regarding the Bridge team, another said, “Great people. Appreciate how you stayed true to your process while flexing to our group’s needs and style.”
This collaborative process positioned the corporation for growth and success in the flooring market, aligning their strategy with market demands and long-term goals.
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