Getting into Your Competitor’s Head: A Case Study

Competitive intelligence professionals often spend too much time collecting competitive data and not enough time digesting what it really means. In the February McKinsey Quarterly, “Getting into Your Competitor’s Head,” the authors assert that in order to be more predictive you need to insert yourself into both your competitor’s company moves as well as their decision-making, which often don’t match. Some companies conduct elaborate wargames to get into their competitor’s head which is warranted in complex cases. Sometimes it’s as easy as identifying the key decision-maker’s motivation, personality style and track record through personality profiling.