Introduction

Introduction conomists have game theory. Biologists have the phylogenetic tree. Chem- ists have the periodic table of elements. Software developers have object- oriented programming. But for those whose work centers on strategy, E positioning, or some form of marketplace spin there is nothing. There is nothing for those whose jobs involve the pursuit of infl uence and, accordingly, the management of opinions, perceptions, behaviors, and decisions. There is no table of elements, per se, for this emerging class of free-form yet indispensable professionals I call playmakers. There are myriad principles, best practices, laws, rules, and admoni- tions in what amounts to vast collections of terms of art. But there is no science and no transforming framework to give these pursuits measure and meaning. The subject of this book, The Playmaker’s Standard, is the result of a painstaking effort to This new system takes the mystery out of the illustrate, describe, sort, classify, and name the cultish fascinations for word-of-mouth, buzz, fi rst generic set of unique moves that are made and spin and the guesswork out of the more by playmakers everywhere—the elements, if formalized but still murky best practices for building brands and managing reputations. you will, of strategy and the infl uence indus- tries. Based on more than a decade of fi eld tri- als and observation in the high technology industry, two years of literature review, and pilot programs with Fortune 500 companies, it gives a fresh foundation and lexi- con for the emerging discipline I call playmaking. It is the fi rst structured system for managing competitors, developing relationships, and creating and mobilizing coali- tions. It is the fi rst practical tool for understanding and executing strategy and positioning in the marketplace. It is a basis for the game plans and playbooks that organizations employ to defend their ground and advance their position. The Playmaker’s Standard is more a discovery of something that has always been S than an invention of something that should be. R 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 7 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:37:08:37 PMPM 8 ALAN KELLY But it is both because to give it meaning and measure I have, by necessity, en- hanced what I have discovered. It takes the mystery out of the cultish fascinations for word-of-mouth, buzz, and spin and the guesswork out of the more formalized but still murky best practices for building brands and managing reputations. It helps managers of all stripes understand and infl uence the intangibles of their marketplaces. Whether for a chief executive or an executive chef, it is a tool that helps leaders and their teams take charge of marketplace discussions rather than observe from the sidelines or be used as pawns by rivals. It allows participants to collaborate with open arms or compete with bare knuckles as their tastes and circumstances dictate. The Playmaker’s Standard The Standard comprises three reference systems, (1) The Playmaker’s Table, a taxonomy of carefully classifi ed and unique strategies, (2) The Playmaker’s Process, a methodology for running and calling plays for improved competitive advantage, and (3) Factors at Play, a source list of variables that infl uence playmakers and the play action* of their marketplaces. While there is much that can be written about the factors or variables that impact playmaking, and equally as much about the method or process by which plays are best run, this book focuses on the fi rst of these three subsystems, The Playmaker’s Table. THE PLAYMAKER’S TABLE† This fi rst system is a breakthrough taxonomy of infl uence strategy, an easily inter- preted and richly detailed classifi cation of ”play types” and their respective defi ni- tions, best uses, and countermeasures. Unlike any previous attempts to describe and organize strategy, including Mi- chael Porter’s seminal work Competitive Strategy, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, or the ancient 36 Strategies, The Playmaker’s Table is the fi rst framework to reveal how stratagems— plays—interact in multiple dimensions. From left to right, it explains the relationships of each play to the others and how each operates, from a subtle form of playmaking * I use the term play action in reference to the presence and movement of plays as they are called and run (i.e., identifi ed and applied) by players in a bounded marketplace. † This table, and all other images in this section, may be viewed at www.plays2run.com. 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 8 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:37:08:37 PMPM THE ELEMENTS OF INFLUENCE 9 called Detach to an outright brawl called Attack. From top to bottom, it orders play types by the degree of complexity. The higher in the stack, the easier they are to ex- ecute. These classifi cations and their play types are exhaustively described in sub- sequent chapters through supporting illustrations, tables and tips, and case-based essays. THE PLAYMAKER’S PROCESS This second subsystem is a fi ve-step methodology that helps playmakers sequence and pattern their play action moves (see graphic below). It guides playmakers as they parley and propel their agenda—from the glimmer of an idea to the glamour of a marketplace phenomenon, from a competitor’s attack to a competitor’s defeat. The Playmaker’s Process takes the practitioner from the conception of a differentiated idea to the identifi cation of a play sequence to the commencement of play action to countermeasures and back. By necessity, The Playmaker’s Process encourages users to check their positions in a continuous circle of steps because a marketplace can S R 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 9 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:37:08:37 PMPM 10 ALAN KELLY change on a playmaker . and playmaking can change a marketplace. (For more de- tail, see The Playmaker’s Process, p. 275.) 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 1010 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:38:08:38 PMPM THE ELEMENTS OF INFLUENCE 11 FACTORS AT PLAY This third and fi nal piece of The Playmaker’s Standard is a quick-reference resource that lists many, though not all, of the fundamental variables that infl uence a marketplace and help playmakers fi ne-tune their diagnoses and battle plans (see graphic below). It is a kind of fan to the fog that typically enshrouds strategy and infl uence, and when fl ipped on, it clarifi es a playmaker’s marketplace. (For more information on Factors at Play, see the expanded section on page 294.) S R 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 1111 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:39:08:39 PMPM 12 ALAN KELLY PLAY ACTION MAPSTM To help a player see the bigger picture, plays can be plotted along a timeline (see graphic below) or superimposed onto The Playmaker’s Table to illuminate the pat- terns, sequences, trends, and tendencies of marketplace play action—of both the moves that have been made and those that might be made. This alerts executives, marketers, salespeople, lobbyists, and advertising and PR managers, among others, to the plays that might be coming and those that should perhaps be run to stay on- strategy and in control of marketplace discussions and movements. (To get other detailed Play Action Maps, see the Appendix, p. 309.) 119368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd9368_01_1-102_r8hc.indd 1212 88/25/06/25/06 44:08:39:08:39 PMPM THE ELEMENTS OF INFLUENCE 13 The Case for Playmaking Today, the keenest challenge facing most organizations is not the management of tangibles, like production, fi nance, inventory, and shipping, but the mastery of intangibles, like brand, reputation, credibility, and trust. These are the pivot points on which an organization’s success or failure turns but of which they have the least insight and poorest control. Every organization competes in a marketplace—from nations to community centers, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, from governments to nongov- ernmental organizations, from publicly traded companies to not-for-profi ts, from your team to your whole industry. All of them. Some compete as collaborators, some as smash-mouth competitors. Most operate between the extremes. But every organization, without exception, strives to carve out its niche, each playing a continuous cat- and-mouse game to position itself and its allies and de-position its opponents for competitive advantage. It is a necessary skill and mind-set for playing in an ever- changing and ever-challenging marketplace. Particularly now. With the new requirements for fi nancial transparency, the wide availability of information over the Net, the speed of communications through e-mail and blogs, the increased effi ciency of supply chains, the empowerment of the single consumer, and the enabling of citizen journalists, the game has shifted from the physical and know- able (like manufacturing) to the amorphous and enigmatic (like service). How does an organization survive in such a full-throttle, wide-open environment? How does an organization master it? How do leaders, managers, and workers thrive in this world of increased effi ciencies, empowered individuals, and seemingly infi nite nuance? One thing’s for sure: Some get it. And some don’t. Apple Computer gets it. For years, its cool brand has enjoyed unwavering loyalty. Republicans get it too. Over two decades, GOP candidates have garnered support from traditionally Democratic working class voters. But not General Motors. For all its trying, GM hasn’t retained the loyalty of its base, like Apple, and it hasn’t expanded it, like the GOP.

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