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The Big Lie of Strategic Planning by: Roger Martin

Decent Essays

It is evident that strategic planning is important when it comes to decision making for many marketing managers. The article The Big Lie of Strategic Planning by Roger Martin, suggests that choosing a strategy strictly based on a certain process “entails making decisions that explicitly cut off possibilities and option” (Martin, 2014). It speaks on the fear that many marketing managers face when challenged with decisions because the wrong decision can surely hurt his or her career, as well as the company. Martin explains it is taught that executives that problems can be solved with the the tested “tools” and learned research processes, but the downfall to this is the expensive comprehensive planning and time consuming preparation. By the …show more content…

Rule number two is “recognize that strategy is not about perfection,” because managers unconsciously tend to feel that strategy should achieve accuracy. The last rule is “make the logic explicit.” This means if the logic is recorded and then compared to real events, managers will be able to see quickly when and how the strategy is not producing the desired outcome and will be able to make necessary adjustments (Martin, 2014). The article The Big Lie of Strategic Planning by Roger Martin, relates to chapter 2, “Marketing Research: Process and Systems for Decision Making.” The role of marketing research is a process by which information about environment is generated, analyzed, and interpreted (Peter, J. Paul and Donnelly, James H. Jr., 2013). Marketing managers apply this process because it aids decision making, it can reduce risks, and it is vital for investigating the effects of various marketing strategies after implementation (Peter, J. Paul and Donnelly, James H. Jr., 2013). Though chapter two suggests that this process is mandatory and necessary to maximize profits, the article argues that the research process is a way to cope with fear, and can arguably limit a company’s opportunities. In my opinion, the article makes a valuable point when discussing the three rules to avoid the comfort traps. A company shouldn’t only think “cost -based” when strategically planning.

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