Time to do a HAPPY Dance, EVIL Strategic Planning is DEAD!!!

[Darkbeer]

http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2005/03/25/ap1906853.html

Nearly two weeks after being named Disney's new chief executive, Robert Iger has made his first significant move to change the way decisions are made at the media conglomerate.

Disney said Friday it is restructuring its corporate Strategic Planning unit to give each of the company's businesses more authority to make acquisitions and start new ventures.

Peter Murphy, Disney's chief strategic officer, will leave that role and become a senior adviser to Iger, the company said.

Iger, who will take over from longtime CEO Michael Eisner in October, has said he wants to foster a more entrepreneurial atmosphere at the company while holding the heads of Disney's film studio, media networks, consumer products and theme parks divisions more accountable.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=8005187

Disney said it would shift many of the planning duties to the theme parks, media networks, movie studio and consumer products units, keeping a smaller strategic team.

"This new structure will create efficiency with accountability and empower our business unit leaders," Iger said in a statement.

:bow:

[cellarhound]

Wow... Decentralization is a good thing... Besides, how much does Iger know about running a theme park or a movie studio? You are talking about someone who used to try and predict the weather....

[figment1986]

wait... he is doing good things????

[SilentBob66]

This is a seriously good sign. I must admit, I'm encouraged. Let's hope Iger proves us all wrong and does Walt's legacy justice.

Dare we dream that there's a light at the end of this nightmarishly long tunnel?

If I were Iger, you know what I'd do? I'd have a sit-down with Roy, Stanley Gold, Diane and Ron Miller, and the rest of the Disney family, and I'd take Diane's hand and look her in the eye and say "I mean to restore your faith in your father's company." Hopefully there wouldn't be a dry eye in the house, but then would come the really tough part -

actually living up to that and doing what needs to be done to restore the Disney name in the eyes of the world.

[BigPigletFan]

If I were Iger, you know what I'd do? I'd have a sit-down with Roy, Stanley Gold, Diane and Ron Miller, and the rest of the Disney family, and I'd take Diane's hand and look her in the eye and say "I mean to restore your faith in your father's company." Hopefully there wouldn't be a dry eye in the house, but then would come the really tough part -

actually living up to that and doing what needs to be done to restore the Disney name in the eyes of the world.

Why can't you be Iger? Instead you're just SilentBob66. Oh bother! I hope this means good things too!! But then again, I am very optimistic.

[Alchimedes]

I was hoping something like this would shake up the management a bit.
This is a Start... Hmmm.. This is GooD!!!!!!

[tcsnwhite]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but the entire Strategic Planning Unit is NOT gone, just broken apart, and not in its current form.

Hopefully this is a good thing, for we all know what that division has done to the company. But, it could just be a repositioning of power, and not come out as very effective.
But hey, I hope is a good thing in the long run.

[Darkbeer]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disney26mar26,1,845050.story?coll=la-headlines-business

[tcsnwhite]

That article is definitly true, Strategic Planning was the bane of creativity, as Roy would say. I really hope this allows creative plans and decisions to be made quicker and easier.

[cellarhound]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but the entire Strategic Planning Unit is NOT gone, just broken apart, and not in its current form.

Hopefully this is a good thing, for we all know what that division has done to the company. But, it could just be a repositioning of power, and not come out as very effective.
But hey, I hope is a good thing in the long run.

Yes, the article did say that... I don think any of us expected it to die all together...

[Mr. Eggz]

Wow!!! Finally some good news, I guess Iger really did want to prove he was not going to continue Eisner's practices. There is actually HOPE! I haven't been hopeful about the future of the Walt Disney Company in five years! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!

[Mr. Eggz]

Yes, the article did say that... I don think any of us expected it to die all together...

So long as the downsized group focuses on mergers and aquisitions and lets the devision heads do their jobs I'm happy.

[tcsnwhite]

So long as the downsized group focuses on mergers and aquisitions and lets the devision heads do their jobs I'm happy.

Amen, brother! :bow:

[RichardRiga]

Never forget what made you what you are, what gave you what you have and who brought you there!

The parks -- and the folks that visit them!

Who wants all his Magic Contributions to go back into the parks,

[IndyJn511]

Niow all he needs to do is bring back the animators, and he'll be on my A-list.

[mrfantasmic]

Definitely intrigued to see this happen. The CEO has had far too much influence over everything. The chance for individual departments to churn out their own products is a wonderful opportunity.

[Gwyren]

Strategic Planning is not a bad thing. Strategic planning in its later form under Eisner was wrong.

Disney, and any large corporation, actually, need some way of communication division decisions to other and have a way to facilitate interdivision planning. This, not decision making, is, to my mind, the point of strategic planning.

Oh, strategic planning should also assist the divisions in seeing new areas which they can expand into.

[tcsnwhite]

http://www.westorangetimes.com/articles/2005/03/31/news/business/business02.txt

Read this article, the way this is written shows that the Strategic Planning dept. is not dead, but not what it was. Yet, it may not turn out to be as good as we all think.