In today’s accelerated world, a company’s ability to pivot and adapt in response to market changes is essential. To stay ahead in this ever-changing environment, you need to think like a disruptor. Step into the shoes of a FinTech startup and ask yourself: How would you attack this space? What vulnerabilities would you go after at your legacy company?
Of course, there’s still a leap to make between words and actions. To help bridge that gap, we started running a program we call The Toughest Opponent (TTO). We took the traditional off-site team-building strategy session and gamified it, splitting the client into two groups that compete against each other. Taking a page from the survival game shows, we have the day one winners feasting at a champagne dinner while the losers are stuck with celery sticks and ginger ale.
Why is this program so critical? Here are three insights we’ve gained from TTO:
- Disruption is a growth mindset. You might not describe yourself as an out-of-the-box thinker. But you don’t have to dream up Ted Talk-worthy ideas to think disruptively. If you’ve ever had a critical thought about your company and what could be done better, then you can be a disruptor. Let’s say you’re bothered by your department’s culture. Exploring why could lead to a talent-first agenda as part of your disruptor strategy.
- Disruption fosters trust. By gamifying the strategy session, team members are freed from the emotional and political calculus that often governs them in their day-to-day roles and hinders progress. One CFO had been championing a multiyear technology project that her colleagues didn’t dare critique. When she and her team went into disruptor mode at TTO, she immediately recognized that the project was a burden on the business. Clients who have participated in TTO report that it reshaped how they engage with each other at work afterward. The trust fostered by the program empowered them to say, “I’m going to put on my disruptor hat right now” and challenge ideas.
- Disruption leads to more disruption. Participants often want more after competing in a two-day TTO session. The rush that comes from disruptive strategizing is not that different from an intense workout. You want to keep building that muscle memory. Training your mind to view your business through different lenses will pay dividends as challenges arise in the future and you are equipped to think about them in a new, critical way.
The world isn’t slowing down, which means it’s time to look inward and pressure test your strategies. By learning how to think like a disruptor, you can future-proof your business and align your team around a unified vision.
The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.
