Law Department Management Blog
Several posts on this blog have laid out criticisms of various well-known management tools. This first post of two starts with a half dozen. For each of the six tools listed below I begin with one or more references to previous posts that give drawbacks of the tool. I continue with citations to any recent posts regarding the tool published after earlier metaposts.
Brainstorming (See my post of Dec. 31, 2008: criticisms and suggestions; and Jan. 28, 2011: brainstorming replaced by techniques based on neuroscience.).
Delphi process (See my post of Aug. 25, 2009 #3: criticisms of the technique; June 27, 2012: peer pressures as another criticism of the Delphi technique; Dec. 9, 2005: Delphi method (nominal group technique); Feb. 1, 2006 #1: origins of the method; and June 16, 2011: conclusions derived through the Delphi technique.).
Focus groups (See my post of July 20, 2012: 8 criticisms of focus groups.).
Process maps (See my post of Aug. 28, 2005: some criticisms; and July 24, 2012: additional criticisms of process mapping.).
Scenario planning (See my post of July 20, 2012: 8 problems with scenario planning efforts.).
SWOT analysis (See my post of Aug. 28, 2005: five criticisms of the method; Dec. 9, 2006 #1: SWOT review of large legal department discloses risk aversion; Jan. 13, 2006 #3: SWOT’s historical roots; Nov. 5, 2007: SWOT analyses that glide over the W[eaknesses]; and Nov. 7, 2007: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.).