Effective strategy is as likely to flow from action as to lead to action

This extract from Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense, by Jules Goddard and Tony Eccles, explores common misconceptions about effective strategy.

Effective strategy is as likely to flow from action as to lead to action

Jules Goddard and Tony EcclesLondon Business School and Cass Business School

Misconception: Rationality means thinking our way into action, rather than acting our way into thought

"People walk in order to find what is worth talking about." – Karl Weick, Talk the Walk

Which comes first – thought or action? Do we think in order to organise our actions? Or do we act in order to clarify our thoughts? It is conventional – but also dangerous – to draw a sharp...

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands