Have you ever attended a strategy meeting only to discover people get bogged down with tactics?

Strategies are the key moves that are chosen to achieve objectives.

Tactics are the details of how, when, where and by whom those key moves are executed.

An example of strategy:  As the manufacturer, to achieve our objective of vertical integration, we will acquire a wholesale and a retail outlet that sells our products.

An example of tactics:  In acquiring the wholesale and retail outlets, we will search for suitable entities in the market geography that we serve; then we will purchase an interest in them; have our people work in the businesses; discover their standards of operation and within three years acquire them fully if they meet our requirements.

Put another way, strategy is the “What?” the “What If?” and “Why?” of deciding the most important benchmarks chosen to achieve an objective or a vision.

Tactics are the details of “How?” When?”, “Where?” and “Who?” will execute the actual moves that enable each benchmark to be reached or achieved.  At execution level they are broken down into actions or tasks.

Both strategy and tactics require planning, which is most often under-done as people tend to rush into action (tasks).

The experienced leader will ensure that strategy planning is completed first; then plan the tactics that executes the strategies.

The experienced leader will ensure strategy planning meetings don’t bog down in the tactics; nor allow tactics meetings to change the strategies, unless there is compelling evidence to do so – in which case the proponents of the changes are required to present a business case, and such should be done prior to a tactics meeting.

One way a leader can get clarity about the distinction between strategy and tactics is to make a list of all those aspects of his or her role that are strategic and those that are tactical.

Most middle to senior leaders have responsibilities in both areas, whereas the closer to the front-line or coal face the more tactical one becomes.

If a senior leader is accused of “micro-management” it is usually because they are involving themselves in tactics or the very doing of the work needed to achieve an objective.  The reason they micro-manage is often due to lack of trust in the competency of the people normally charged with the task – and that is most often a result of leaders not ensuring their people are sufficiently developed or resourced.

The more senior a leader is, the more strategic they need to become – ultimately having the ability to move easily from the ground view, to the upper view, then to view over-the-horizon.

What will you do now to distinguish between strategy and tactics in your current role?

Implementation - The Bridge between Strategy and Execution

Have you ever experienced the frustration and disappointment of having a strategy, but not having it deliver the desired results?

The tendency for planners (strategists) to blame operators (executioners) and vice versa, at all levels, is very human of us isn't it?

If the leaders are the strategists, they must implement the strategy and then managment and/or supervisors ensure execution through their teams by the delivery of the tactics, through doing the actions or tasks.

The bridge is implementation, an additional responsibility of the leadership.

Implementation is the dynamic delivery of the leaders' own: -

• Effective Leadership Behaviour - see the Wheel of Effective Leadership Behaviour
• Consistent Effective Communication - this must be disciplined clear multi-path communication, flowing between all the parties who share responsibility for the outcome.
• Accountability Discipline - the leadership must ensure that appropriate timely remedies are enacted for any failures, blockages or disruptions.

Effective Implementation is evidence of effective senior leadership in action.

Execution requires proactive leadership behaviour from managers and supervisors as well, ensuring:-

• Clarity - the team must be completently clear about their roles and duties in relation to the tasks.
• Competence - the team must have the knowledge and skills to conduct the tasks competently.
• Engagement -  the team must be engaged, willing and committed to the tasks.
• Persistent Resourced Action - the team must be resourced and persistent in their actions in getting the tasks completed to the best of their abilities.

Effective Execution is evidence of effective management and supervision in action.

Senior leaders have a greater implementation function, whereas managers and supervisors can have a mix of implementation and execution duties.

If there are gaps between strategy and execution, the wise leader will examine the strategy and the implementation, as well as the tactics and the execution.

Are you clear about your implementation and/or execution responsiblities?