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The Microskills of
Devalorization & Contrarianism
Tengku Mohd Khairal Abdullah
 Learning Objective
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• Students should be able to explain/ elaborate the microskills of

Devalorization & Contrarianism
• Students should be able to explain/ elaborate the role of culture in
making strategic thinking rare.
 The Microskills of Devalorization
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• Means (French) to devalue or diminish something that culture

venerates.
• The method: take something that the prevailing cultures consider to
be important and one imagine the opposite. Develop the arguments
that justify this unorthodox view and explore the implications.
• Example: Devaloring Productivity → imagine that a person should be
unproductive. It makes sense when you think about the advice
offered to get more sleep, take a vacation, have a day rest, etc.
• Additional argument against productivity includes the side effects of
industrialization such as environmental degradation, product safety,
exploitation of child labor, etc.
• Extending the practice → devalorization of the other four P’s of
predictability, perfection, process and present. E.g. instead of valuing
prediction, you appreciate spontaneity and serendipity. Instead of
valuing process, you emphasize the creative aspects (the artfulness)
of work. Instead of valuing perfection, you value discovering
opportunities.
 The Microskills of Devalorization
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• Profanity, defined as words which is seldom being used within

the norms of society.
• One can use profanity as tools in strategic thinking by making
the accepted norms, problematic.
 The Microskills of Contrarianism
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• Defined as an observable action/ behavior that separates one

action from conventionality and orthodoxy.
• The concept of contrarianism recognizes that routines, habits
and herd behavior often have side effects that lead to
complacency, laxity and inattention.
• Contrarianism augments the microskill of personal resilience,
allowing for new method of functioning in changed situations
• Contrarianism increases flexibility and learning. Some people
are temprementally contrarians and practice it naturally. They
deliberately dress differently, or argue any point or try to shock
others. By routinely doing things differently, you act your way
into a new way of thinking
 The role of Culture
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• Culture means ‘the shared learning of group of people’. Their

shared learning are about organization, their strength and their
future.
• Organizational culture imprints on new entrants and influences
their behavior.
• A strong operational culture is an organizational asset that
enables a group of individuals to achieve economies of scale
and impact. Operational culture is a force for the status quo.
• Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Operational culture supports
a style of thinking that crowds aside strategic thinking.
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Thank You