{"id":63798,"date":"2022-04-05T08:38:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T12:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=63798"},"modified":"2022-04-06T08:44:55","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T12:44:55","slug":"playing-to-win-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/playing-to-win-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Playing to Win: Book Review and Critical Reception"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Is Lafley and Martin&#8217;s <em>Playing to Win <\/em>worth reading? Are the tips in the book still relevant today? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In their book <em>Playing to Win, <\/em>former CEO A.G. Lafley and consultant Roger Martin explain the steps for developing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-makes-a-business-successful\/\">successful business<\/a> strategy. When the two worked together at Procter &amp; Gamble, they used this approach to double the company&#8217;s sales and market capitalization.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s our <em>Playing to Win <\/em>book review, including background and critical reception by the readers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-book-overview\"><strong>Book Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The book<em> Playing to Win <\/em>is a collaboration between A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin, who worked together at Procter &amp; Gamble (P&amp;G) as CEO and strategic adviser, respectively. The book teaches what business strategy is and how to use it effectively. Lafley and Martin suggest using a \u201cwaterfall\u201d sequence of five questions that identify the company\u2019s vision, target markets, and plan to dominate those markets. The answer to each question informs the next, hence the term <em>waterfall strategy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-the-authors\"><strong>About the Authors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lafley is best known for leading P&amp;G as president, CEO, and chairman of the board from 2000 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2015. During those periods, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/investing\/stocks\/procter-gamble-chairman-to-retire-10641365\">doubled P&amp;G\u2019s total sales and market capitalization<\/a>\u2014his success is credited to his heavy investments into brands that were already successful and his intense focus on customer satisfaction. Lafley stepped down as CEO in 2015 to become executive chairman of P&amp;G, and he officially retired in 2016. When he stepped down for the second time, <em>Fortune <\/em>hailed him as <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2016\/06\/01\/pg-chairman-a-g-lafley-steps-down-for-good-this-time\/\">\u201cone of the most lauded CEOs in history.\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin is an author, strategic adviser, and former dean of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto. In addition to advising CEOs of several major corporations, including P&amp;G, Martin is known for his contributions to the theories of <a href=\"https:\/\/rogerlmartin.com\/thought-pillars\/democratic-capitalism\">democratic capitalism<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/rogerlmartin.com\/thought-pillars\/integrative-thinking\">Integrative Thinking<\/a>. <a href=\"http:\/\/thinkers50.com\/biographies\/roger-martin\/\"><em>Thinkers50<\/em><\/a> named Martin the world\u2019s #1 management thinker in 2017 and regularly places him in the top 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Connect with AG Lafley:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ag-lafley-2381b3201\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Connect with Roger Martin:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/rogerlmartin.com\/\">Website<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/roger-martin-9916911a9\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rogerlmartin\">Twitter<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-book-s-publication\"><strong>The Book\u2019s Publication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Playing to Win <\/em>was published in 2013 by the <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/books\/playing-to-win\">Harvard Business Review Press<\/a>. It was Lafley\u2019s second book, following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/97072\/the-game-changer-by-a-g-lafley-and-ram-charan\/\"><em>The Game-Changer<\/em><\/a>, and, to date, it\u2019s the last book he\u2019s authored.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin (a professional author) has many more books to his name, but <em>Playing to Win <\/em>remains one of his most popular and successful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-historical-context\"><strong>Historical Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A large part of <em>Playing to Win<\/em>\u2019s appeal is that it provides a clear and easy-to-follow guide to creating a winning strategy. This was especially relevant in 2013 because the 2010s were\u2014as the authors say in the book\u2019s conclusion\u2014a time of extreme globalization, thanks in large part to technological advancements and the internet. Since publication, the global marketplace has become even more complex, and it shifts quickly and constantly. That\u2019s why it\u2019s more important than ever for a business to have a clear and effective strategy guiding it through rapid market changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intellectual-context\"><strong>Intellectual Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Playing to Win<\/em> is most notable for pushing back against business guides that discuss how to <em>compete <\/em>in the marketplace. Instead, Lafley and Martin insist that the purpose of business strategy is to <em>dominate <\/em>the marketplace\u2014in other words, to win. That, plus the authors\u2019 focus on clear and actionable advice, helps this book stand out among the plethora of popular business guides from the 2010s, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/blue-ocean-strategy\"><em>Blue Ocean Strategy<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/tools-of-titans\/1-page-summary\"><em>Tools of Titans<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simon Sinek\u2019s 2018 book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-infinite-game\/1-page-summary\"><em>The Infinite Game<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>would later dispute some of Lafley and Martin\u2019s ideas, particularly the concept that you can \u201cwin\u201d at business. We\u2019ve included some commentary to explore Sinek\u2019s perspective.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-critical-reception\"><strong>Critical Reception<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Playing to Win <\/em>is a <em>Wall Street Journal <\/em>and <em>Washington Post <\/em>bestseller, and<em> <\/em>it has received largely positive reviews from critics. The <em>Financial Times <\/em>calls <em>Playing to Win <\/em>a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/22fac0a6-63ed-11e2-b92c-00144feab49a\">manual for business strategy<\/a>. <em>Fortune <\/em>lauds the book for its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/berlinschoolofcreativeleadership\/2014\/03\/21\/a-g-lafleys-recent-book-is-a-leaders-guide-to-building-an-everyday-strategic-practice\/?sh=53bb963338e9\">insightfulness and accessibility<\/a>. Overall, fans of the book believe that it\u2019s one of the most practical and easy-to-understand business strategy guides on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Criticisms of <em>Playing to Win <\/em>are generally mild, such as <em>Fortune <\/em>noting that the book\u2019s case studies all come from large corporations like P&amp;G or Apple, and therefore might not be applicable to smaller companies and startups. The <em>Financial Times <\/em>says that it makes for dry reading, but that the lessons it contains are worth learning nonetheless.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More serious critiques\u2014mostly from individual reviewers on Amazon and Goodreads\u2014take aim at how heavily <em>Playing to Win<\/em> focuses on Lafley\u2019s time at P&amp;G. They argue that the lessons are outdated, and that the examples and case studies are self-promotional fluff. However, the authors say in their introduction that they\u2019ve seen their methods used to great effect in companies of all sizes across many different industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-commentary-on-the-book-s-approach\"><strong>Commentary on the Book\u2019s Approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Playing to Win <\/em>starts by presenting the five questions of Lafley and Martin\u2019s waterfall strategy. The subsequent chapters explain each question in detail, including how to come up with effective answers and implement those ideas in your own business. It\u2019s a logical structure that takes you step-by-step through the authors\u2019 process of developing strategies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Playing to Win <\/em>relies heavily on examples and anecdotes from Lafley and Martin\u2019s time at Procter &amp; Gamble, which illustrate (but lengthen) their lessons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Lafley and Martin&#8217;s Playing to Win worth reading? Are the tips in the book still relevant today? In their book Playing to Win, former CEO A.G. Lafley and consultant Roger Martin explain the steps for developing a successful business strategy. When the two worked together at Procter &amp; Gamble, they used this approach to double the company&#8217;s sales and market capitalization.\u00a0 Here&#8217;s our Playing to Win book review, including background and critical reception by the readers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":36361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,79,458],"tags":[472],"class_list":["post-63798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entrepreneurship","category-review","tag-playing-to-win","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Playing to Win: Book Review and Critical Reception - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is Lafley and Martin&#039;s Playing to Win worth reading? 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