The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning: Reconceiving Roles for Planning, Plans and Planners

by Henry Mintzberg

In this definitive and revealing history, Henry Mintzberg, the iconoclastic former president of the Strategic Management Society, unmasks the press that has mesmerized so many organizations since 1965: strategic planning. One of our most brilliant and original management thinkers, Mintzberg concludes that the term is an oxymoron -- that strategy cannot be planned because planning is about analysis and strategy is about synthesis. That is why, he asserts, the process has failed so often and so dramatically. Mintzberg traces the origins and history of strategic planning through its prominence and subsequent fall. He argues that we must reconceive the process by which strategies are created -- by emphasizing informal learning and personal vision -- and the roles that can be played by planners. Mintzberg proposes new and unusual definitions of planning and strategy, and examines in novel and insightful ways the various models of strategic planning and the evidence of why they failed. Reviewing the so-called "pitfalls" of planning, he shows how the process itself can destroy commitment, narrow a company's vision, discourage change, and breed an atmosphere of politics. In a harsh critique of many sacred cows, he describes three basic fallacies of the process -- that discontinuities can be predicted, that strategists can be detached from the operations of the organization, and that the process of strategy-making itself can be formalized.

Mintzberg devotes a substantial section to the new role for planning, plans, and planners, not inside the strategy-making process, but in support of it, providing some of its inputs and sometimes programming its outputs as well as encouraging strategic thinking in general. This book is required reading for anyone in an organization who is influenced by the planning or the strategy-making processes.

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction, Leadership, Entrepreneurship

458 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Professor Henry Mintzberg, OC , OQ , Ph.D. , D.h.c. , FRSC (born September 2, 1939) is an internationally renowned academic and author on business and management. He is currently the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he has been teaching since 1968, after earning his Master's degree in Management and Ph.D. from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1965 and 1968 respectively.
Henry Mintzberg writes prolifically on the topics of management and business strategy, with more than 140 articles and thirteen books to his name. His seminal book, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, criticizes some of the practices of strategic planning today and is considered required reading for anyone who seriously wants to consider taking on a strategy-making role within their organization.

He recently published a book entitled Managers Not MBAs Managers Not MBAswhich outlines what he believes to be wrong with management education today and, rather controversially, singles out prestigious graduate management schools like Harvard Business School and the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania as examples of how obsession with numbers and an over-zealous attempt at making management into a science actually can damage the discipline of management. He also suggests that a new masters program, targeted at practicing managers (as opposed to younger students with little real world experience), and emphasizing practical issues, may be more suitable.

Ironically, although Professor Mintzberg is quite critical about the strategy consulting business, he has twice won the McKinsey Award for publishing the best article in the Harvard Business Review.

In 1997 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1998 he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. He is now a member of the Strategic Management Society.

Reviews

[Matt Mayevsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six reasons why must read this book:
1. You will learn what it is not a strategy,
2. You will learn what it is planning,
3. You will learn the errors of planning,
4. Finally, you understand what is the difference between the various schools of strategy,
5. Because the world changes, but not the rules,
6. Because this is Henry Mintzberg.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was way more technical than I had anticipated, but was worth the effort overall. I was confused a lot about the definitions of many of the terms, but it seems that was the point. But after fighting with all the jargon, I found quite a few interesting ideas about the planning fetish and its outcomes on companies and even wars, some very sad examples of bad planning that even led to losses of lives, some hilarious ideas on management and planning and some alarm signals related to the many ways the human mind tricks itself. Overall a great constructive critique on what could not be criticized not long ago. Not a must, but it can prove to be quite intellectually stimulating for anyone interested in management in its many shapes.

[Edisom Rogerio A Hott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obra-prima de Henry Mintzberg. Publicada originalmente em 1994. Muita da teoria já está no cotidiano da vida empresarial. Descreve a ferramenta de gestão conhecida como "planejamento estratégico" e aponta pra necessidade do seu uso como ferramenta estratégica e não como ferramenta determinista. Defende que os "planejadores" deveriam passar a ser "estrategistas", apoiando efetivamente os esforços da Gerência no dia-a-dia da empresa.

[Ivo Spigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing overview of various "strategic planning" operations over the years and how some of them failed disastrously.
Probably most poignant is the failure of planning and execution in WWI where 850,000 soldiers died in a single battle because of it.

[Jaspal]

HISTORY OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

[Uriel Vidal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro que describe a detalle el momento actual en que se encuentra la planeación, tanto con los actores y proceso que representa como con los problemas que enfrenta. Es un libro para personas que quieren adentrarse en un conocimiento más profundo del tema y saber de cuales son sus limitantes.
El libro tiene un carácter de investigación y de crítica, por lo que al leerlo se torna tedioso como desmenusa cada parte del proceso de planeación y que ocasiona que los capítulos sean muy extensos, sin embargo, el autor maneja un humor algo obscuro en algunas partes de la crítica lo que hace "algo" mas digerible la lectura.
Quizá sea de ayuda leer algo de la guerra de Vietman, o ver el documental de Netflix de vietman, para entender mejor la implementación y consecuencias del llamado PPBS.
Una lectura, al menos el capítulo de las falacias, para las personas que están aprendiendo planeación.

[Jaakko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klassikko alallaan ja syystä, mutta valitettavan monimutkainen ja -polvinen. En oikein keksi, kenelle tätä voisi suositella vaikka täynnä tärkeitä huomioita formaalin ja kontrolliin pyrkivän suunnittelun haasteista, joita tämä maa on edelleen täynnä.

[Sergej van Middendorp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this frame central to my MBA dissertation in 2000. The duality between planning and emergence has never left my work and thinking since.

[Joseph Monaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar! Wish I would have read this one in AMSP before my planning job at USEUCOM. This was is in the top 5 between AMSP and ASLSP for me.

[Nigel Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough and grounded appraisal of the bad old days of separate planning departments. Many of the attributes for strategy formulation and inputs into that have not changed however given this was written pre widespread internet adoption there is naturally some signs of dated content and opinions. Nonetheless, the author does a great job of laying out the case against and it certainly was not lost on me how difficult it would have been to go against the flow that was separate strategic planning. No doubt a good lesson for us all in how to combat the supposed new norm that comes along from time to time and without a strong rebuff can soon be the new assumed modus operandi. Overall well worth reading.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

had to return it before finishing...

[Murry Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can be a bit of a slog, but then finding out that the emperor is pretty much going au natural is worth the effort.

[Ben Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid but narrow

Good book with a narrow focus. A bit out of date but full of helpful critiques and insights. Only recommended for intense students of strategy and management.

[Felipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic that should be read by anyone concerned with the role of the strategic planning process and strategic planning areas within business organizations.

[Fedor]

Необычный взгляд на повседневные процессы. "Контра".