Uri Baruchin’s Post

Open (genuine) question: is anyone bringing anything new to the worlds of strategic management, leadership or marketing? I do not mean it in any way facetiously; I really am curious to know. Any academic work, practical insights, or theorizing that is novel would be of interest. At the moment, the public discourse is so predictable that one is better off setting one's watch than one's budget to it. I mean, really, at this point *we know* it all only too well - the same arguments have been repated ad nauseam for years. We know that distinctive assets matter. We know that consumers don't care much about brands. We know that Cannes-awarded work is ineffective. We know that everyone is getting their underwear in a twist over artificial intelligence. We know that short-term ROI needs to be balanced by long-term, well, something else. Recently, Bruce Clark mentioned Conviction Narrative Theory - very interesting. Steven McCrone, meanwhile, is digging into Friston's Free Energy Principle - also very interesting. Same with Dave Snowden and Estuarine Mapping. But I am struggling to find much of anything else. Surely SOMEONE is bringing SOMETHING to the table?

A great discussion and good leads here for contemporary approaches to contemporary business development, particularly strategy in this post. At FLM we are fans and embed this in our work with clients. For example, our insights tool is powered by Sensemaker and we take a quite of bit of time training with and staying up to date with Dave Snowden's work. In terms of Snowden, I find his work a bit like Foucoux's writing - easier to read and understand through another's lense because the original text is a bit heavy for me. JP Castlin is a great lense to view through. #FrontlineMind #Cynefin #Sensemaker

JP Castlin wrote one of the very few thought-provoking posts in my feed these days. Thanks for that! As to the question, these are my thoughts: - Way too many people still confuse strategy and "the big initiative for this fiscal year that will be changed after 6 months anyway". - The by far biggest overall topic for me is psychology. On a more tangible level that includes things like motivation and how to handle incentives. Or how (top) management needs to communicate to unleash the potential of the people in the organization. - On the organization theory side it would be how to deal with the ever growing need to adapt faster. - When I was at university more than 20 years, there was a major for business history. In our ignorance we mostly laughed about it. But today I think that learning from the past is one of the best things we can do. - Having started my career at HP, I highly recommend this video: https://lnkd.in/e49wmqwA These guys were so visionary and it hurts me to see what HP has become (but that is a different story). #strategy #hpway

Thanks for the mention JP Castlin. FEP, Constructor Theory, The Adjacent Possible etc allow us to explore how people, groups and organizations exchange energy and information with their environment, and what the possibilities of those exchanges are. This is the foundation of strategy. They also allow us to better understand the limitations of the conventional wisdom. Who is asking challenging questions vs who is defending the conventional wisdom? Inertia comes from those we refer to as "The Merchants of Certainty" (Thanks again Diego Espinosa). ♦ Consultants using new language to express old ideas. ♦ Training AI with the conventional wisdom. ♦ Universities business schools and publishers pitching to the conventional wisdom as an easy sell in hard times. ♦ Businesses who train and reward new staff to mimic senior staff. ♦ Boards who demand certainty because uncertainty scares them...

1. It seems to me that a huge number of assumptions have been made to this day. The problem with the implementation of these approaches lies in their weak connection with Reality. That is why most assumptions tell in great detail about what should happen at the end of the story. But almost no one talks about where to start, what problems will arise after the start and how to get at least to the middle. Other than that, there is no consensus on: What is Management? What is a Manager? What is Leadership? What is a Leader? What is Culture? Finally, what is their Super-task (Stanislavsky)? Until an understandable and reasonable answer to these questions is given, it is pointless to produce entities. 2. Due to the too free use of terms, a stupor arose at the theoretical level. F.W. Taylor introduced the concept of Scientific Management. However, if you carefully read his main work, it becomes clear that there is not a word about Science in it, there is not a word about the Manager. He's talking about solving Engineering problems and he's talking about administration. Since then, it has been believed that the Engineering Approach = the Scientific Approach and that everyone understands what Management is. It's time to get rid of these harmful misconceptions. Rene Descartes noticed: "People would get rid of half the trouble if they could agree on the meaning of the words." 3. The "General Theory of Management" solves all of the above problems. https://lnkd.in/e3Tt5cME

This is exactly why we started Critical Truth. The industry has stagnated towards poor research methods with a complete lack of innovation, and strategy that is so obsessed with proving its own whimsical opinions it has become completely detached from reality. Soft skills are given stronger credence than technical skills, unless the technical skills can prove their pre-held beliefs. Anything more analytically complex than a percentage is terrifying to most and many hold nuance in disdain because it doesn't lend well to 'punchy' decks. Finally, perspectives that go against the grain are actively shut down. I'm very glad for this opinion piece to be published and this is easily fixed with the right blend of skillsets. Seek truth, not proof.

Having made the switch from academia to marketing strategy, it was heartening to hear Consumer Anthropologist, Gina Fong speak with Fergus O'Carroll in a recent episode of On Strategy Showcase about how social research principles provide a foundation for unlocking true understanding in a commercial environment. Gina emphasised that any worthwhile research is grounded in understanding, not merely knowledge. It made me reflect on the importance of the following: 🗣️ Asking the right questions. It sounds glaringly obvious, but the potential for effective strategy can be easily scuppered by not ascertaining what the customer problem is. 🔎 Navigating confirmation bias, and researching until saturation. Assumptions and desired findings are inevitable on some level, but pandering to either is hostile to producing quality data. To find 'the unlock', it's imperative that we continue to research until it is apparent that no further significant findings can be uncovered. ❓Not mistaking universal truths for insights. Findings such as 'people like clean homes' are not insights - they are observations and, in isolation, cannot be used to formulate good strategy. Instead, to identify problems to be solved, we must critically evaluate why these things are so. Taking the clean homes observation, an example of an insight here could be people believing that maintaining a clean home is a form of self-care because they attribute the cleanliness of personal spaces to relaxation. It's great to see increasing conversations about the value of robust research in marketing. I am incredibly grateful to the wonderful minds I have been taught by and had the honour of working with, who helped equip me for a career in strategy.

Marketing might sound like a cool and sexy thing we should all be doing more of. But the reality is it comes down to a lot of small repetitive tasks with discipline and consistency. It’ll take: ✅ Constant iteration and adjustment. ✅ Educated experimentation. ✅ Failures to learn from. ✅ Understanding insights presented to you and accelerating into them. And balancing that without getting bogged down with: ❌ Analysis paralysis. ❌ Focusing on easy instead of what’s best. ❌ Worrying other people’s opinions. ❌ Focusing on things you can’t control

What will set your marketing apart this year? Thought leadership. Other channels are saturated, the old way of doing things isn’t working and AI is making it easier to push out genetic content. What people are craving is a personal touch - authentic connections, thought provoking ideas and a real person behind what you’re saying. You have to be considering this in your marketing programs, what you’re writing and what you’re putting out there in the world.

If you're in marketing and haven't seen Mad Men, you're missing out. Donald Draper, the main character, is iconic. Set in the 1960s, Mad Men takes us to Madison Avenue's marketing golden age. It shows the shift in advertising during a changing society. The show is rich in lessons about branding, understanding your audience, and how to craft impactful campaigns. Here's what I’ve picked up from watching it three times: 📖 Storytelling: Simple, engaging stories capture hearts. They’re the soul of effective marketing. 🎯 Know your audience: Understanding what the audience wants and needs is key. 💡 Creativity under pressure: The best ideas often come when the clock is ticking. 🛍️ Brand image: A consistent brand image builds trust and recognition. 🤝 Building relationships: Strong personal connections can open doors and close deals. 🔄 Adapting to change: Stay flexible and evolve with the times. ⚖️ Ethics in marketing: Be creative, but also responsible and ethical. Mad Men isn't just a show; it’s a masterclass in the fundamentals of marketing.