Goals, Strategies and Tactics

April 29th, 2013

Many people confuse the three concepts. For a business to grow or for a project to succeed, these need to be well understood. I will use a driving navigation system to explain them.

Before you set out, you need a destination, a goal. A goal needs to be measurable, that is, you need a way to confirm that you have achieved it. When driving, that usually means arriving at the specified coordinates. Additionally, you may want to get there within no more than 40 minutes.

Once you know where you are going, you need a general route. In business, it is called a strategy. You don't need to know every turn in advance. Conditions may change: traffic, construction or other unforseen circumstances that may slow you down or prevent you from getting to your destination. That is why your strategy usually goes like this: go west, then south, and use highways to save time and gas. In business, those in control of the resources pick the strategy. A strategy is long-term and should not change much. That is why it needs to be very general, without specifics.

Once you set out, you will be making tactical decisions. Which street is best to get to the highway? Which streets to avoid? Field experts are the best people for that. They know traffic patterns based on time of the day or time of the year. They are aware of sporting events and which streets are affected. They know where the construction sites are. They know traffic lights, speed limits and other road signs that may have an impact. Tactics are specific actions. They are short-term decisions that follow the strategy in order to best accomplish a goal.

Now go, drive safely and efficiently to your destination.

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