 <h1>Congratulations! 🎉 </h1>
    <p style="color:#637381;">All done! You’ve completed another milestone.</p>

To continue, enter your details to log in.

We’ve sent a 6‑digit code to #MAIL_ADDRESS#\nPlease check your inbox or spam folder and enter the code below to continue.

Verification code sent

Thank you for the payment. You can now access {collectionName} by simply clicking the button below.

Yes, you’ve successfully ordered! 🎉

Unlock This Exclusive Course

It seems that your email address is not currently on the authorized access list. Please ensure you are using the email address that was invited, or contact the content owner for assistance.

Verification Required for Access

The Planning School: Strategy as Formal Procedure

Learning objectives

From One Architect to a Whole Department

What Formal Planning Can and Cannot Do

Worked Example: General Electric's Planning Machine, Built and Then Gutted

Practice: Scenario Planning Without the Forecasting Fallacy

Expert Depth: Programming, Not Making, and the Evidence Behind It

Go Further

Quiz

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Completion

Completion and Reflection

Welcome to 'The Planning School: Formal Strategy, Evidence, and Scenario Planning. ' In today's rapidly changing business landscape, relying on intuition alone is no longer sufficient for sustainable success.

Welcome to 'The Planning School: Formal Strategy, Evidence, and Scenario Planning.' In today's rapidly changing business landscape, relying on intuition alone is no longer sufficient for sustainable success. This comprehensive course dives deep into the Planning School of strategic management, where strategy is viewed as a highly formal, systematic, and evidence-based procedure. 

Throughout this course, you will explore the evolution of strategic planning—from the vision of a single architect to the complex operations of entire planning departments. We will critically examine what formal planning can and cannot achieve, using real-world case studies like General Electric's famous planning machine to illustrate both the triumphs and pitfalls of rigid strategic frameworks. 

You will also gain hands-on practice in scenario planning, learning how to prepare for multiple futures without falling victim to the forecasting fallacy. By delving into expert-level concepts, you will understand the critical difference between 'programming' a strategy and 'making' one, backed by robust empirical evidence. Whether you are a business leader, a strategy consultant, or a management student, this course will equip you with the analytical tools and critical thinking skills needed to design, evaluate, and implement formal strategic procedures effectively. Join us to master the mechanics of formal strategy and elevate your organizational planning capabilities.

2 - The Planning School: Formal Strategy, Evidence, and Scenario Planning

<div class="simple-box-wrapper">
    <div class="simple-box">
        <div class="column">
            <p>The Planning School represents a highly formalized approach to strategy formation, shifting the responsibility from the intuition of a single visionary architect to the systematic processes of a dedicated planning department. For students and practitioners of strategy, particularly those navigating the frameworks of Strategy Safari or operating within a formal strategic-planning apparatus, understanding the mechanics of this school is critical. This course dissects the premise that strategy can be broken down into distinct, programmable steps, supported by rigorous evidence, objectives, and checklists. By examining the structural evolution of strategic planning, participants will analyze how organizations attempt to quantify, systematize, and control the unpredictable nature of the business environment.</p>

<p>Throughout this exploration, the curriculum evaluates both the utility and the inherent limitations of formal planning methodologies. Participants will investigate a detailed worked example of General Electric’s once-massive planning machine—analyzing its construction and subsequent dismantling—to extract practical lessons on corporate adaptability and bureaucratic overreach. Furthermore, the course delves into scenario planning, offering techniques to circumvent the common forecasting fallacy that often plagues rigid strategic models. Finally, by distinguishing between the act of programming an existing strategy and making a new one, practitioners will develop a nuanced understanding of where formal planning succeeds as an operational tool and where it falls short as a creative engine.</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
