From Warhammer to War Plans: The IDEA Framework with Stephen Box

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In this episode of The Operational Arch, hosts Spencer Bates and DJ Taylor sit down with Steven Box, founder and CEO of Vanguard Tactics and a top-ranked competitive Warhammer coach, alongside SAMS professor Matt Yandura. The conversation explores how Box's "IDEA" framework — developed over years of competitive tabletop wargaming and coaching — maps surprisingly well to military decision-making: gathering the right information under time pressure, making rapid decisions, executing with composure, and assessing outcomes to adapt. The episode also digs into why SAMS invited an outside expert from a non-traditional field and what operational planners can learn from embracing failure, coaching…