A good strategy is a specific and coherent response toand approach for. Bad strategy occurs whenhard choices are avoided, andor when leaders are unwilling or unable to define and explain the nature of the challenge. Book summary good strategy, bad strategy mbreads medium. The british admirals fleet was outnumbered at trafalgar by an armada of french and spanish ships that napoleon had ordered to disrupt britains commerce.
Notes from good strategy bad strategy strategy has always been a fuzzy concept in my mind. Mar 18, 2016 in good strategy bad strategy, richard rumelt describes what bad strategy is and why we see so much of it. Sometimes it will be necessary to read between the lines and connect pieces of information. Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of any leader. As the following diagram shows the kernel is composed of three strands. The lords of strategy by walter kiechel is an outstanding history of strategy as a discipline, the consulting industry in general, and the broader intellectualization of business since the 1950s. Ichec professor luc moeremans 20152016 catarina duarte 153111 corporate strategy good strategy bad strategy the difference and why it matters by richard rumelt part i the book good strategybad strategy written by the professor of business and society in the school of business and management ucla richard rumelt clarifies the difference between good strategies. In the kernel of strategy, the book offers a very useful. A while ago, the excellent russell davies gave me a copy of good strategy, bad strategy. In the remainder of this essay we briefly describe our approach, apply it to the 2017 national security strategy of the united states of america to demonstrate the utility of our approach, and conclude with a discussion of how our framework can help avoid bad strategy. Good strategybad strategy argues that a coherent strategy can be, by itself, a significant source of competitive advantage. Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. Thankfully, it will also increase your odds of success.
Alas i spotted one such book good strategy bad strategy. Good strategy bad strategy pdf summary richard rumelt. Good strategy, bad strategy summary richard rumelt. Mar 01, 2018 bad strategy shares one of four defining characteristics. Senior executives who can spot it stand a much better chance of creating good strategies. He said it was the best book hed read on the topic, and i found it extremely useful.
Good strategy bad strategy diagnosis is key jan 4 2012 9. Fluff is gibberish that sounds like a coherent plan, but which doesnt say anything. Dec 24, 2017 a good strategy is an entirely intentional and focused problemsolving activity, which focuses on fundamental and vital issues. Instead, bad strategy involves fillintheblank, templatestyle thinking.
Rumelt uses interesting stories and firsthand experiences to explain the logic of good strategy, while highlighting the pitfalls and fallacies you must avoid in bad strategy. I picked up this book not thinking much of it, but was very surprised by how much i learned, which actually is a testament to the pervasiveness of bad strategy in the corporate. For a quick overview of his work, make sure to read the perils of bad strategy. In good strategybad strategy, richard rumelt describes what bad strategy is and why we see so much of it. It seems hard to believe that strategy is a concept that only entered the business lexicon in the 1960s and that the now multibillion dollar consulting industry is a relatively new creation. Over the last month ive been reading good strategy, bad strategy during my commute, and its been the most thoughtprovoking book ive read in some time. Bad strategy is distressingly common because it is much easier to conceive than good strategy, which involves rigorous analysis, logical thinking, difficult choices and focused action. Good strategy bad strategy pinpoints the polar difference. Distilling a lifetime of experience and delving into history and the classics to illustrate the importance of strategy, rumelt explains how to discern good strategy from bad strategy and tells you how to implement the good.
Good strategy bad strategy book summary strategy 101. Given the number of times ive referred to it recently, ive written up some notes to share. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Notes from good strategy bad strategy by jeff zych.
A rumelt perpsective on good strategy linkedin slideshare. Aug 22, 2018 in writing goaloriented communication, i noticed a parallel between those ideas and the outline of good strategy in the book good strategybad strategy by richard rumelt. Pdf good strategy bad strategy richard rumelt, 2011. A good strategy is an entirely intentional and focused problemsolving activity, which focuses on fundamental and vital issues. He also shares his framework for what drives good strategy along with guidance on how to create more of it. Oct 25, 2011 developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of any leader. Good strategy almost always looks simple and obvious and does not take a thick deck of powerpoint slides to explain. In writing goaloriented communication, i noticed a parallel between those ideas and the outline of good strategy in the book good strategybad strategy by richard rumelt goaloriented communication articulates.
Jan 01, 2011 good strategy bad strategy flips strategy on its head, cuts out the fluff and digs beneath the success of companies across the ages and teaches us to replicate it by following the kernel basic skeleton of strategy. Good strategybad strategy argues thatadvantage flows from coordination and focus as well as. Here are some of my notes, but i recommend reading it. For a quick overview of his work, make sure to read the perils of bad strategy i was struck by how relevant richards work is to organizations struggling to adopt systems thinking. Good strategybad strategy posted on november 6, 2015 by mike pinkel in good strategybad strategy. Bad strategy abounds, says ucla management professor richard rumelt. Already the good, specific strategy how the organization should focus its resources to respond to challenges and move forward.
Despite rumelts lofty reputation in this crowded field, good strategybad strategy is his first book aimed at a general audience and only his second as a sole author since 1974. Good strategy bad strategy flips strategy on its head, cuts out the fluff and digs beneath the success of companies across the ages and teaches us to replicate it by following the kernel basic skeleton of strategy. Good strategybad strategy richard rumelt 9781781256176. Bad strategy is a great book for anyone slightly at loss where to begin when it comes to creating or evaluating a strategy. Good strategy gathers power from its very rareness. Strategy comprises a diagnosis that defines the nature of the challenge. Developing a strategy requires making a clear diagnosis of the problem, defining an overall approach to solving it, and creating a set of mutually reenforcing coherent actions. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading good strategy bad strategy.
The difference and why it matters, leverages 40 years of academic and strategy consulting experience. Jan 15, 2019 good strategy bad strategy book summary strategy 101 2000 books. The advantage flows from coordination and focus as well as from resolving the impossible ambiguity of reality into a problem that fits the organizations resources and abilities, a problem on which the organization can. Since then, his original and pragmatic ideas have won fans around the world and continue to help readers to recognise and avoid the.
Most frequently a great jumble of buzzwords structured into a grammatically coherent format that nonetheless conveys quite little substance, such as using technologically advanced solutions to drive synergy across our geographically distributed teams. Good strategy, bad strategythe difference and why it. The leader of an organization lacking a good strategy may simply believe that strategy is unnecessary. A good strategy is a specific and coherent response toand approach forovercoming the obstacles to progress. Here rumelt injects a sense of realism, arguing that strategy does not equate to a list of things you wish would happen p. Sep 17, 2012 and because you should know the difference between what passes for strategy bad strategy and real strategy good strategy. What makes good strategy, what makes bad strategy duration. Written by one of the foremost authorities on the subject of strategy richard rumelt, the book is a true nononsense endeavor. Richard rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to. When richard rumelts good strategybad strategy was published in 2011, it immediately struck a chord, calling out as bad strategy the mishmash of pop culture, motivational slogans and business buzz speak so often and misleadingly masquerading as the real thing. The difference and why it matters, an insightful book on business strategy and successful differentiation. Jun 20, 2017 bad strategy is a great book for anyone slightly at loss where to begin when it comes to creating or evaluating a strategy. Mar 20, 2020 the good strategy rests on hardwon proprietary knowledge, new strategies are based in part on insights and ideas, pursuing a strategy will generate new proprietary knowledge. But more often the lack is due to the presence of bad strategy.
The diagnosis and actions that constitute good strategy, the fluff and failures that cause the bad. Rumelt offers three simple steps to developing a strategy for your business. Good strategybad strategy the difference and why it matters. And because you should know the difference between what passes for strategy bad strategy and real strategy good strategy. I picked up this book not thinking much of it, but was very surprised by how much i learned, which actually is a testament to the pervasiveness of bad strategy in the corporate world something that rumelt talks about right away. Jun 27, 2018 notes from good strategy bad strategy strategy has always been a fuzzy concept in my mind. May 17, 2019 good strategy bad strategy 17 may 2019. Publication date 2011 topics planning, strategic planning, strategy publisher crown business. The difference and why it matters by richard rumelt gives you a roadmap that will help you develop better strategy. Like weeds crowding out the grass, bad strategy crowds out good strategy. Good strategy bad strategy quotes showing of 93 the kernel of a strategy contains three elements.
The difference and why it matters, richard rumelt argues that the essence of strategy is discerning the one or two critical issues in a business problem and concentrating effort on them. Part i good and bad strategy 9 chapter 1 good strategy is unexpected 11 how steve jobs saved apple business 101 is surprising general schwarzkopfs strategy in desert storm why plan a remains a surprise chapter 2 discovering power 21 david and goliath is a basic strategy story discovering walmarts secret. Do not, i repeat, do not read this book if you plan to savor the coming 11 months of political. Good strategy bad strategy, by ucla anderson school of management professor richard p. Since then, his original and pragmatic ideas have won fans around the world and continue to help readers to recognise and.
The good strategy rests on hardwon proprietary knowledge, new strategies are based in part on insights and ideas, pursuing a strategy will generate new proprietary knowledge. The difference and why it matters kindle edition by rumelt, richard. There are precious few books that enable you to not only rethink the way you think but also improve your performance. Bad strategy often consists of banalities, unrealistic goals, and confusing slogans. Good strategybad strategy clarifies the muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful actionoriented strategy for the real world. Jun 09, 2011 when richard rumelts good strategybad strategy was published in 2011, it immediately struck a chord, calling out as bad strategy the mishmash of pop culture, motivational slogans and business buzz speak so often and misleadingly masquerading as the real thing. Rumelt uses interesting stories and firsthand experiences to explain the logic of good strategy, while highlighting. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english. Richard rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate motherhood and applepie values and. Consider more ideas complex situations make people uncomfortable and most people, including business executives, will grab on the first idea they come up with and accept. It utilizes the intelligent application of advantage to reach better placement in the market. Aug 09, 2018 in the remainder of this essay we briefly describe our approach, apply it to the 2017 national security strategy of the united states of america to demonstrate the utility of our approach, and conclude with a discussion of how our framework can help avoid bad strategy.