The design thinking craze
Natasha JEN formulates a very calm and articulate deconstruction of the design thinking craze. Just like open innovation, lean methodologies, effectuation, or intrapreneurship… design thinking is a methodology that is better at selling the idea that there is a one-size-fits-all solution to every corporate strategic hurdle than actually delivering anything real.
You can’t understand where your market is going? Let’s stick some post-it on a glass wall; magic will surely ensue!
As Natasha or every professional whose income is directly linked to the actual success of the insights he/she delivers, I feel compelled to call bullshit when I see it.
I was calling bullshit on intrapreneurship in 2014 well before the Harvard Review decided to wake up a month ago:
And you’ll see more and more bullshit called on startups before the end of the year. Fads and hype, and trends are necessary evils. They signal discomfort and a readiness for change in the industry. The mistake would be to jump on anything that sounds too good to be true.
It took four fucking years to get there!
Not that first quick wins were not acquired within a year, but any significative organizational change takes blood, time, and money — when I say blood, be reassured that this is not too often in a literal way.
When everyone is an overnight expert in strategic transformation, industrial design, and business models, you should ask yourself if you’d hire an overnight expert in mergers and acquisitions or fly the plane that will take your family to your favorite vacation spot.
In management consulting as well, feel free to apply common sense.
