The Practice of Making Strategy : A Step-by-Step Guide

Rating:
Summary: A real practice book!
Review: One might think that there is already a sufficient amount of "how to"- strategy books on the market. Normally I would agree, but the book of Colin Eden, Fran Ackermann and Ian Brown positively stands out from this crowd in a very distinctive way.

The authors have accomplished the most difficult task in writing a practical guide on a complex topic, something that is easier said than done. Without over-simplifying the challenging process of strategy making or neglecting theoretical insights, they created an easy-to-read book that guides its reader through a clear series of process steps in a comprehensible manner - using insights, interventions and techniques which are well grounded in practice. That already makes it the most substantial practice book in strategic management available, at least of what I am aware of.

This book perfectly matches "Making Strategy: The journey of strategic management" by Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann (Sage, 1998) which provides the theoretical setting for the proposed strategy making process in this piece of work. Despite their academic background, the authors took the practice claim seriously and structured the book in a target-oriented and user-friendly manner. The text is neither abstract or academic nor loaded with academic references. All chapters are quick to the point and include clear descriptions of tasks as well as helpful examples and exercises. The five case studies are well chosen, create real images about the practical processes by their narrative style and support comprehension at the right point. But most importantly, each chapter provides practical "hints and tips" on top of "commentaries and issues" on the tasks in order to avoid typical pitfalls in strategy making processes. Especially these commentaries and tips were extremely useful to keep a focus on real important issues and they were very helpful for my own practical work. Discussing issues in working with consultants/facilitators or how to manage incomplete processes underline the consequent practice orientation of this book. The way the whole book is written, its sound understanding of strategic change processes and its accentuation on common difficulties in practice demonstrate the extensive practical experiences of the authors. In all, the book nearly always comes right to the point and meets its aim to guide the reader through the process of strategy making in practice. This book really deserves to be called a "practice book".

After you have read this book, you will immediately ask yourself when, where and how you could apply this strategy making process within your own organization. This is not only a good indicator that this book has practical relevance in general but also that it has encouraged you towards "I can do, too!" That's what a good practice book is about and the reason for me to give five stars.