Here is a table that lists most important issues regarding our practitioner connections:

Please add issues on the table

Dear IG Colleagues,

Back from Academy of Management Meetings with strengthened faith on the essence of our IG. Theory-practice link seems to be an evolving challenge in major academic communities.

Thinking the role of Practice of Strategy IG my opinion is that clarifying our vision is most important. Strategic thinking & action (by the way this happens to be the title of my new book, which came out of print yesterday) should be linked to the vision.

Consequently, I brainstormed some food for thought both on the Vision of Practice of Strategy IG as well as on how to attract practitioners.

1. Vision (or strategic intent) should be geared around SMS’s ABC-concept. Some elements might include expressions like

-revitalize ABC-concept of SMS

-enhance bridging/balancing B-link into ABC-frame (right now it is very inferior)

-translate A- and C-concepts into practical B-solutions

-attract and strengthen B-contribution for building novel world-class strategy concepts (A) and viable consulting practices (C).

-etc.

2. How to attract practitioners. This should be a major vehicle for promoting and implementing the vision. Some ideas for doing this more successfully might include the following:

-Practice of Strategy IG should start active multiple-order networking inside SMS, e.g. by identifying senior SMS members, Founding Members and others, who have wide personal networks with practitioners (for instance consulting clients). These individuals could ask their contact persons to participate conferences and even present cases.

-organizing panels and AB- and ABC-case presentations in conferences (more of this happened in the 1990’s).

-building on the previous point, C-members could be encouraged to prepare exciting stories, cases, even articles with practitioners.

-working harder in picking and preparing conference themes and cases that are relevant to practitioners.

-in relation to the previous point, we could make a survey among B-members asking their wishes and ideas. This could also be done through SMS’s national associations, since they have been more successful in attracting practitioners.

-building on the previous point, we should collaborate more closely with national (regional) SMS-associations. Perhaps offer some perks for them, if they bring B-members to conferences.

-we can nominate “Country Ambassadors/Representatives”, who work for us. Again, some rewards (such as discount…even free participation, if they bring certain # of practitioners).

-Country Ambassadors or us could actively find prominent practitioners (business, politics, NGO’s, arts, sports etc) and ask their contributions in congresses.

-we should segment practitioners; who are most potential prospects (CEO’s, strategy directors, HR-managers, entrepreneurs/which industries/regions). After finding out prospect profiles, we could collaborate with national associations, other professional associations (perhaps), and prepare conferences fitting the needs. A practitioner is not one ‘animal’, who is similar always and everywhere.

-we should communicate our vision and strategy inside SMS – and national associations.

-finally, Practice of Strategy IG should work more long-term. In two years it is not realistic to expect peak performance. First year you are mainly wondering and learning, second year you start to perform as you know the name of the game. Only after that you could start seriously develop new practices, but then you are out…

-perhaps some kind of alumni team(s) could continue, if rules are too rigid to be changed.

Hope this helps us to take our challenges one or two steps further. Being one of (40-some) Founding Members of SMS and an ABC-person by background I would be happy to contribute as well as I can.

Best Regards

Timo