Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation
Author: Kees van der Heijden
List Price: $39.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0471966398
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (24 October, 1996)
Sales Rank: 26,367
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
Great content but writing style makes for hard reading
Frankly I'm surprised at all the glowing reports without someone mentioning that this isn't the easiest book to read. Not that the language is difficult. Rather the sentences are long and often unclear, and there are too many reference to past and future chapters. I'd suggest reading a few paragraphs before purchasing the book. You might find that this book is not for you -- it didn't do anything for me. I gave up half way through the book, maybe there was more value in the second half.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Read this book and survive!
A marvelous book which could be subtitled "What to do before the market projections you are guiding your company with go plop!". Van Der Heijden has done an excellent job dissecting the approaches used to establish a deeper more robust strategy based on continuously developing (and refining) a "model" of the forces underpinning your market. Very practical, potentially pivotal, highly recommended.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Strategic Processes MasterGuide
Aimed at business strategists or consultants, this book provides many deep, usable tools, and approaches assisting the development of more robust projects and organizations across a range of futures.The well referenced attractive chapters span:
++ The context- history in Shell, and three paradigms (rationalist/ evolutionist, and processualist).
++ The principles of scenario planning- the business idea, uncertainty, scenarios, and scenarios planning in organizations.
++ The practice of scenario planning- practitioner's art, articulating the business idea, competitive positioning, scenario development, and option planning.
++ Institutionalizing scenario planning- the management of change, planning processes, and guiding the strategic conversation.
Strengths include: the credibility and rigor of content (the author has 35 years experience in this field!); the attractive style and presentation; the sets of checklist & guidance for those embarking on scenario planning exercises; and extremely relevant tools for senior managers (and whole organizations) to avoid "analysis-paralysis" number-crunching or Las Vegas gambling on guesswork and charisma. The main weakness (to this reviewer) was a need for more case studies, and perhaps more occasional humor/lightheartedness.
Overall, a great text which goes very well with the high quality Gill Ringland's "Scenario Planning- Managing for the Future" (Wiley, 1998, ISBN 047197790X).
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Book Index