‘Spur’ Episode 1: Is Planning Impotent?

The first episode is out. Here is how PSFK introduced it:

There is clearly a belief that planning suffers a bit from an identity crisis, tending to be self-referential and consumed by its own purpose and definition. Why is planning’s analytical lens so often turned upon itself? And why does planning often find itself validating its worth?

Perhaps Dan Cherry, managing partner at Anomaly, sums it up best when he wonders if planning is impotent. “If you have a point of view on the ‘plan,’ why wouldn’t you be involved in the doing?”

The more we talk about planning the more we realize that people outside the industry just don’t know what it is (or necessarily care). Planners want to impact real business and creativity more directly. Whether it’s “the output” as Gareth Kay puts it, or working further “upstream,” as Paul Woolmington says.

Is the agency model inherently an obstacle to good ‘planning’? Are the motivations of a planner beyond a tactic or medium? As we continue the series, we’ll continue to explore these questions and offer up new contexts for understanding planners. (The next episode will explore talent and what makes a good planner).

I am not sure I agree with the idea of Planning - as a discipline - going through an identity crisis. While there might be plenty of cases where planners struggle to truly bring value to the process - which leads to a kind of re-validation need - this is mostly due to the lack of a proper structure/model that allows planning to flourish. Yes, I do agree that planners are able to impact, and must be involved, during the entire process - I've been saying that to myself for quite a while - but I do agree with some of these guys that in order for that to happen, first there has to exist a culture/model that allows to do so.

One thing is clear to me. I believe planners must stay away from the 'smart idealists' with fancy language silo, and get closer to the 'smart and creative' individual that provides tangible results all the way to the final outcome. That's how we can redefine the discipline.

Via PSFK