{"id":93879,"date":"2025-12-15T11:13:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T11:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apma-association.org\/staging\/?p=93879"},"modified":"2025-12-15T13:26:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T13:26:00","slug":"playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apma-association.org\/staging\/playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

by A.G. Lafley<\/a> (Author), Roger L. Martin<\/a> (Author)<\/p>\n

\n

Playing to Win: How Strategy Became a Series of Disciplined Choices at P&G<\/h1>\n

In Playing to Win<\/em>, A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin take readers inside the
\nstrategic transformation of Procter & Gamble during one of the most pivotal
\nperiods in the company\u2019s history. Rather than presenting another abstract,
\njargon-heavy strategy manual, the authors tell a grounded and practical story
\nof how a global consumer-goods giant rediscovered its competitive edge.<\/p>\n

Through this narrative, strategy is no longer mysterious or theoretical.
\nIt becomes a series of deliberate and disciplined choices about how a
\ncompany will compete and, ultimately, how it will win.<\/p>\n

A Company at a Crossroads<\/h2>\n

Lafley, who served twice as P&G\u2019s chief executive officer, begins by
\nconfronting an uncomfortable truth. Despite its scale, legacy, and deep
\ntalent pool, Procter & Gamble was struggling to grow. The marketplace
\nwas crowded with strong global competitors, and the company had slipped
\ninto a familiar corporate trap.<\/p>\n

Leadership had come to believe that trying a little of everything across
\nevery category and every geography was a strategy in itself. Lafley and
\nMartin challenge this mindset directly. They argue that strategy is not
\nabout doing more. It is about choosing. Just as important as deciding
\nwhat to do is deciding what not to do.<\/p>\n

The Five Choices That Define Strategy<\/h2>\n

At the heart of Playing to Win<\/em> is a framework built around five
\nessential choices. While the book explains these choices clearly, the
\nstorytelling makes them feel less like a rigid model and more like a
\nphilosophy for survival in competitive markets.<\/p>\n

Everything begins with a deceptively simple question. What is our winning
\nambition? Many companies say they want to grow or lead, but Lafley and
\nMartin insist that ambition must be grounded in a clear and meaningful
\ndefinition of what winning actually looks like.<\/p>\n

For Procter & Gamble, winning meant improving consumers\u2019 everyday lives
\nwhile delivering superior returns to shareholders. This clarity of purpose
\nbecame the foundation for every strategic decision that followed.<\/p>\n

Where Will We Play?<\/h2>\n

The next critical choice focused on where the company would compete.
\nStrategy required narrowing focus, not expanding it. Lafley describes
\nhow P&G had to make tough decisions about which categories, brands,
\ngeographies, and consumer segments truly mattered.<\/p>\n

These choices were rarely easy. Some categories carried emotional weight
\nor strong internal advocates, yet they lacked real growth potential.
\nWhenever P&G avoided making clear choices about its playing field,
\nit spread itself too thin and lost ground to more focused competitors.<\/p>\n

The lesson is unmistakable. Competitive advantage begins with setting
\nboundaries. By choosing where to play, companies create the conditions
\nneeded to win.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n