Strategy and Tactics
Ever since I got into general management, the enormity of these words has sunk in. The power of words! The importance of language.
Many years back, one of my relatively senior and experienced direct reports remarked that I was not being strategic. I was taken aback at the time. However, I let this simmer at the back of my mind for some time. It became amply clear that what I considered strategy was not even in the equation. I was being challenged on what I viewed as tactics. A common mistake, quite common, however, is unintentional.
The following table explains the difference between these terms in an organisational context.
Feature | Strategy | Tactics | Execution |
Ownership | Leadership | Function Heads | Teams |
Time - frame | Long-term | Medium - Term | Short-term |
Alignment | Vision | Objectives | Tasks |
Flexibility | Low | Medium/Adaptable | High/Situational |
Question | What is our overall approach to our vision? | What is our approach to meeting key objectives? | How do we execute on the ground? |
A good strategy without effective tactics will likely fail, and brilliant tactics without a sound strategy may lead to short-term gains but not overall success.
Execution is the proverbial "rubber hits the road". It is the bare minimum, and any profitable organisation does a good job of execution.