Analysis - 3m
3M
The article “Strategic Stories: How 3M is Rewriting Business Planning” is a two in one type of article. The author initially discusses the drawbacks of using bullet point in presentations, mainly on how it contains lack of information, clarity and attention to the audience. The author continues by giving an alternative way of delivering the idea in mind by a strategic narrative style, which captures the audience and delivers the points needed to be made effectively. Throughout the article the company 3M is mentioned, it is at the end where the author gives a realistic example of how 3M used the strategies mentioned and succeeded.
We know now that the problem is bullet points. But the question is “What is so bad about bullet points?” Bullet points allow the presenters to move on to the next point quickly while assuming that the audience has understood the point and the idea behind it. This is very dangerous depending on the type of audience being presented to. Usually the audience would be a mix of different departments and fields. One point most likely will be perceived differently from the audience, especially if the presenter just “wings it”. In addition, bullet points are too generic. The ideas behind vague bullet point in strategic planning are that it can be applied to any type of business. It fails to recognize how these bullet points apply specifically to the field. Any company can state “Increase response rate” but it does not recognize where it is needed and the way that it will positively affect the company. Finally, bullet points leave critical assumptions about how the business works unstated. When a plan is given in a bullet point, without much emphasis in determining how it is implemented, leaves the audience assume how it is done, and as mentioned earlier will be perceived differently. A good example of this is Market share, profits and new product development. These three areas, which are used too generally, causes confusion as there are
The article “Strategic Stories: How 3M is Rewriting Business Planning” is a two in one type of article. The author initially discusses the drawbacks of using bullet point in presentations, mainly on how it contains lack of information, clarity and attention to the audience. The author continues by giving an alternative way of delivering the idea in mind by a strategic narrative style, which captures the audience and delivers the points needed to be made effectively. Throughout the article the company 3M is mentioned, it is at the end where the author gives a realistic example of how 3M used the strategies mentioned and succeeded.
We know now that the problem is bullet points. But the question is “What is so bad about bullet points?” Bullet points allow the presenters to move on to the next point quickly while assuming that the audience has understood the point and the idea behind it. This is very dangerous depending on the type of audience being presented to. Usually the audience would be a mix of different departments and fields. One point most likely will be perceived differently from the audience, especially if the presenter just “wings it”. In addition, bullet points are too generic. The ideas behind vague bullet point in strategic planning are that it can be applied to any type of business. It fails to recognize how these bullet points apply specifically to the field. Any company can state “Increase response rate” but it does not recognize where it is needed and the way that it will positively affect the company. Finally, bullet points leave critical assumptions about how the business works unstated. When a plan is given in a bullet point, without much emphasis in determining how it is implemented, leaves the audience assume how it is done, and as mentioned earlier will be perceived differently. A good example of this is Market share, profits and new product development. These three areas, which are used too generally, causes confusion as there are