The importance of a diagnosis in strategy development

If you visited your doctor and they started recommending treatment before knowing what the symptoms are, or what the problem you need help to resolve, you would probably leave. Quickly.

But that is exactly how most public relations and marketing “strategies” are built.  Treatments are prescribed before there has been any diagnosis of the cause of pain or whether the proposed remedies will even reduce the pain, let along treat the problem longer term.

Good Strategy? Bad Strategy? No Strategy!

Without a diagnosis, developing a strategy to overcome the problem and achieve the desired outcome is not possible, according to Harry and Elsa Kunin Emeritus Professor of Business & Society at the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management, Richard P Rumelt.  So, before you start coming up with things to do, make sure you at least understand the problem and have a working diagnosis for its cause.