Strategy memes and conventional wisdom

Is it just me, or is the planning world a bit of an echo-chamber?

As strategists we are meant to question these subjective interpretations, but that’s not what I come across most of the time. Most of the time I hear regurgitated aphorisms.  And because we all blog and tweet etc. these strange kind of strategy memes are crossing oceans. No matter who’s blog I read, or which country they’re in, it’s the same shit I hear. It’s a classic case of groupthink.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times. Perhaps we’re all looking for answers so desperately that when we hear something that sounds smart, we take it, cradle it, make it our own and spew it forth without questioning its truth.

Sometimes a beautifully phrased aphorism is just that.

Take the nauseating phrase ‘media agnostic’ and the odd, unquestioning positivity that surrounds it. Maybe, just maybe channel agnosticism is a truly useless way to plan marketing? Maybe it’s the shiz. But surely we should question it?

And how many times a week do you hear ‘there is no such thing as social media, it’s all about social ideas’. Really? No such thing? When was the last time you wrote a comment on your printed newspaper that was immediately read by everyone else flicking through its pages?

I could continue ad nauseum.

If you’re a planner, here are my three nifty tips for avoiding groupthink:

1. Think. That’s your job. Question the hell out of everything, even beautifully phrased aphorisms.
2. If you’re going to regurgitate somebody’s aphorism, say it’s theirs. Don’t just say it as if you came up with it yourself. We all know you didn’t. You look like a dick.
3. Dare to debate. Disagreeing with peers, even peers who blog beautifully phrased aphorisms is healthy. Be brave, be original.