Trade Secret

This is a strategy game... about strategy! Compete with other organizations and race to build the best place to work by implementing people-, culture-, and change-centric strategies. It's for seasoned game-lovers, developing leaders, and students alike. By immersing yourself in strategic game play you'll expose yourself to cutting edge strategies in Organization Development and test the wits of your friends and coworkers. Read the strategy descriptions as you introduce new cards to the game and reflect on your experiences. There's no avoiding it, you'll learn something new.

Play as the CEO of a recent start-up. Take on the challenge of being a visionary and strategic leader. Your industry is complex and changing. Imagine that just last year, the biggest player in the industry unexpectedly collapsed. The race is now on to become the industry leader and best place to work. The first order of business is to gain awareness about your organization. Awareness comes in five types: Management, Environment, Communication, Innovation, and Culture. These are five of the most important influences on strategy.

The game itself mirrors a common strategic planning exercise in the business world: the SWOT Analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and the exercise is designed to increase your awareness of your internal and external environment. A good SWOT Analysis then takes the following critical step: You must take that newfound awareness and parlay it into useful strategies for your organization.

A word of warning to new business owners: no competitive advantage lasts forever—Except the ability to adapt. Welcome to the world of business psychology and strategic planning. May the best strategies win!