Question

Topic: Strategy

Does Synergy Exist?

Posted by Anonymous on3/13/2006 at 8:20 AM ET 125 Points
I have an assignment which includes discussing the synergistic planning process. The definition I have is “the rational process of determining future action based on a realistic consideration of the current situation and the desired outcome” which sounds grand until you compare it to the practical explanation which is anaylsis, implementation, planning and control. Am I missing something complex and in-depth or is synergistic planning just plain, good-old-fashioned common sense?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted bywnelsonon3/13/2006 at 9:34 AM Accepted
    Hi, Sue,

    Remember that "common sense" is not all that common. You seem to have a grasp on the value of planning for the future based on the present situation, but most small businesses don't plan at all. They simply have a product or service idea, find some customers, and start serving them. The lucky ones have repeat business or stumble onto new business to keep them busy.

    Synergistic planning is a pretty fancy name for it. I generally call it the Marketing Process, which really involves three phases - Strategy, Planning, Execution. The Strategy phase involves Analysis first: Market; customers - their needs, emotional influencers, media they gain information from for the product/service; Competitors' strengths and weaknesses, and how well they meet the customers' needs; the company - SWOT, out of which strategies develop, and comparing strengths and weaknesses with competitors to find core competencies. I add a step in here called "Direction Setting" - which is product/service definition and Position Statement development.

    Then, comes the Planning - three steps. Goal setting - developing tangible, measurable objectives; Activities - all of the things you have to do to reach the goal; Measurement - defining what success is for the company and with respect to each activity.

    Finally, the Execution stage involves first, Follow-Through. This is priority setting, focus, and discipline to follow the plan. Then, it's Review - period reviews of the progress on activities and their effect on the company goals, periodic reviews of the overall strategy to make sure nothing has changed, and making corrective as needed to put the company back on track.

    As I said, many people don't plan. They don't go through this logical process. They don't goal set. And they don't write it down.

    I hope this helps.

    Wayde
  • Posted byFrank Hurtteon3/13/2006 at 9:42 AM Member
    Sounds to me like someone developed a product called synergistic planning...
    common sense planning is free, the hollywood-south beach synergistic planning method costs a couple grand a day to learn....

    Am I cynical... no, I am observant...

  • Posted on3/13/2006 at 11:00 AM Member
    Hi Sue,
    It is the point of marketing that you do follow a method; a marketing method. It is also the point that gut feeling and common sense have made way for a discipline which is still in its growing-developing faze itself. That is maybe why you would rather fall back on mums wisdom and common sense. However it is not like that. Many of the tools available for doing marketing make sense in the context of exactly that: marketing.
    Like an exact science or something with which normal people do not keep themselves busy.
    That is why marketing is there; it is not common sense anymore it is a lot more than that.
    I once mentioned common sense or mums wisdom to a pro in Cornell and she wish washed me off the chart by bombarding me with a lecture on how that will keep billion dollar businesses on a straight line.
    So, use common sense in common life, use all the rest in business.
    As Nelson mentioned above next to his there are several other marketing planning, activating and doing techniques. Most of them do not have a lot in common with common sense anymore.
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