One of the most effective elements of the Deakin Business Development Clinic (BDC) is how we’ve reimagined Work Integrated Learning (WIL).. Rather than working on problems provided by a business , BDC students work ‘on the business’
We take that approach by applying UCLA Professor Emeritus Richard Rumelt’s seminal work in Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, detailing three effective stages of developing effective strategy: diagnosis, guiding policy, and coherent actions.
This trifecta—the kernel of good strategy—ensures that each stage builds on the other, creating a cohesive pathway to success.
Unfortunately, most academic consulting programs inherently miss the mark by separating these stages. Students are often tasked solely with implementation, leaving diagnosis and strategic decision making to the clients or external advisors. This fragmented approach undermines the potential for meaningful, sustainable student learning.
A Comprehensive Approach to Academic Consulting
At the Deakin BDC, we’ve taken a different path. Rather than asking our clients to define their challenges upfront, we invite them to start with a blank canvas—a reflection of their openness to growth. This allows our students to engage with all three stages of Rumelt’s kernel, ensuring a fully integrated strategic process.
- Diagnosis
Our students begin by assessing the business’s current state. Using the 7-Levers framework of profit, students document their analysis by producing a ‘health check’. This diagnostic phase uncovers growth gaps, identifies bottlenecks, and highlights untapped opportunities. By anchoring the process in this proven framework, students create a robust foundation for strategy-informed decision-making.
- Guiding Policy
Armed with insights from the diagnostic phase, students move into strategic analysis. This is where they develop a guiding policy—a clear, actionable strategy to guide each decision made to grow the business.
- Coherent Action
In the third phase students develop and present a tactical plan of action informed by the guiding policy. Students create actionable steps for business to implement that will drive drive profit growth. This coherence between diagnosis, strategy, and tactics ensures that the work doesn’t just sit on a shelf—it delivers real-world results.
Building Strategy from the Ground Up
By including Rumelt’s kernel of strategy into our pedagogy, the BDC offers a unique consulting experience that immerses students in the complexities of business. It’s not about solving predefined problems but about cultivating the critical thinking and problem-solving skills students will need as future business leaders.
What makes this approach so impactful is its focus on cohesion. Each phase of the process—diagnosis, strategy, and tactical planning—builds upon the last. This not only creates a more meaningful learning experience for our students but also ensures our clients graduate from the BDC having learned a methodology for applying strategy-informed decision making in the future.
A Model for the Future
The Deakin Business Development Clinic exemplifies what’s possible when academic programs bridge the divide between strategy and application. By aligning our process with Richard Rumelt’s kernel of strategy, we’re not just teaching students to think critically about business challenges—we’re equipping them with the tools to create transformative solutions.
For small businesses, this means access to innovative, well-rounded strategies that drive real growth. For our students, it’s an opportunity to experience the full spectrum of strategic thinking, from diagnosis to implementation, preparing them to tackle the complexities of modern business with confidence and skill.
This alignment between theory and practice isn’t just a win for Deakin—it’s a win for the businesses we serve and the students we prepare to lead the future.