Why do companies insist on a one-size-fits-all template for strategy? Is it because the MBA types come in with their unimaginative frameworks that speak to unimaginative executives? I certainly think so.
The ones who are at a fault the most, McKinsey, recently published a series of articles about the Art of Strategy. What’s new about strategy in the article?
Absolutely nothing.
But, that isn’t a problem since Good Strategy is scarce. As it should be. The problem with that is we’re left with Bad Strategy all around. You would think that the people who are the preeminent strategy practitioners would know how to solve this challenge. They don’t.
I am seriously getting fed up with this, because strategy is hard, not easy. I’ve been banging on this door for the last few months now, and I will keep doing so. Because to me it’s important that we stop the madness of mindlessly following the herd simply because it looks as if they know what they are doing.
The reason strategy is hard is, simply, because people don’t like to make decisions. It is the biggest head fake of them all. I’m starting to believe business people are waiting for the moment when the McKinsey’s of the world publish their latest thinking on strategy with the expectation that the requirement to make a decision, the core of strategy, will somehow evaporate.
That, my friend, is never going to happen. For what you decide not to do, is what you will be. And, maybe that’s the problem: not many want to be anything than more of the same.