How do great companies make strategic planning work?

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is. Nowhere is this old business saying more true than in strategic planning. Almost all newly-qualified managers face a terrific culture shock when they find that their marketing planning textbooks, even if they are a good prescription, are a very poor description of the reality of business practice. This article is a good introductory summary to Dr Brian Smith's book "Making Marketing Happen".