What Makes Strategy Possible: An Illustration Using Paper and Scissors

Abstract

Exercises in experiential learning are designed to help the participant or learner “experience” a concept firsthand. These exercises should be designed to facilitate or add to the participant’s learning process. Furthermore, the more tangible the end result of the exercise, the greater the chances the person will be able to “take something” with them. This exercise is designed to illustrate concepts in strategy development and implementation. Given the changing nature of today’s competitive environment, it is important that we do three things in making strategy possible: exercise our imagination and our ability to think “out-of-the box”; be able to induce logic and begin to reason connections between factors that just a short time ago seemed unrelated, and finally to have a degree of understanding and comprehension if not only of the parts, but of their effect on the whole. The exercise should take place very early in the course so that the various aspects can be referred to as those concepts present themselves throughout the course.