Chapter 6 explores how the problems of Strategy might be fixed – clearing out the bad methods, codifying what works, and setting professional standards. Executives who do strategy are vital to this, as are the strategy consulting firms who have largely ignored the issues, but who probably have the best repository of knowledge and capability in strategy that exists. Academics in strategy should welcome an emergent strategy profession – people are more likely to buy into a subject which features a recognised profession. It will not be easy to build a true profession, given the weak platform from which we start, but we really need it. As I noted earlier – when people mess up strategy, they mess up your life!
So should we try to bring Strategy up to the standards of other professions or not? Is there even a need, or is everything just fine the way it is? Just where are those high-powered and highly paid consultants in all this? – in any other field, they would be central to building knowledge, ensuring reliable practice, and setting and enforcing standards.
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