By Ann Pomeroy
HR Magazine, February '06
(excerpt)

Many executives are skeptical of strategic planning. In fact, the process is often a barrier to good decision-making and doesn’t really influence most companies’ strategy, say Michael Mankins and Richard Steele of management consulting firm Marakon Associates.

Mankins and Steele oversaw research for a survey of 156 senior executives at companies worldwide with sales of at least $1 billion. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit.