Business Wargame Design and Facilitation.

Imagine if you could “play” with the options available in advance of making impactful business decisions #

We design and run scalable wargames to help you anticipate and rehearse your organisation’s response to its next cyber incident. We call these “wargames” as they are based on the format and methodology of professional wargaming, meaning that the situation evolves - including the actions of the adversary - in response to the players’ decisions.

Isn’t it better to learn what might happen in a wargame, rather than in the real world situation? But often organisations go into a decision without working through all the different options first.

You wouldn’t expect your favourite sports team to learn how to play the game while on the field against their opponents. You wouldn’t expect paramedics to arrive on scene at an accident having only read all the top ranked books on medical practice. But in business we expect leaders and practitioners to only learn from harsh real world experience.

Practice your specific or general decision making before facing a real life situation #

We design and run wargames, and we specifically use “wargames” as they are based on the format and methodology of professional wargaming. A wargame doesn’t necessarily involve conflict, but it does involve different individuals or groups making decisions, and those decisions deciding on the situation for the following turn. That situation is also affects by the responses of other entities and organisations, including those played or simulated by the wargame’s facilitators. These exercises are not multiple choice, there are no pre-determined outcomes. Actions and outcomes are determined iteratively, with the other entities involved being modelled or role-played as needed.

You know your business, your staff, and your area - and maybe your competitors too. You don’t have a knowledge problem, you have a sense-making problem. By playing through different options and exploring the consequences, you can determine what is your best course of action, and what benefits and risks you might incur from choosing each option.

There are two reasons to run a business wargame:

• Exploration - with a real world decision you only get to make it once. In a wargame you play through the consequences of each decision, you can even play as your competitors or other organisations in your field, and see how the situation looks from their point of view.

• Strategy - work through a change in your environment before you sign that contract, have you estimated your competitors’ actions accurately, have you made sufficient provision for expected changes in the environment?

The solution #

At the end of a wargame or series of games, you will have a better understanding of your situation and the available options.

The exact solution depends on the requirement. A wargame can be played in an intensive afternoon, or played over a series of days or weeks. This may just be a “structured conversation”, with time limits on free form decisions; alternatively something with more mechanics, based on your organisation and its context, to give the players a clearer understanding of the levers they can pull.

We emphasise running these exercises online to reflect the normal operation of your organisation, but hybrid and onsite events can also be provided.

The next step #

Please contact us with your requirements and we’ll start working with you on a solution.