Do Not Missconfuse Strategy and Tactics: How to Align Vision with Execution

What’s the difference between strategy and tactics?

The terms “Strategy” and “Tactics” originated as military terminology derived from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Since then, they’ve been adapted to fit different situations beyond just military usage, including business strategy.

1. Definition of strategy
   A strategy is an action plan that you will take in the future to achieve a final end goal. Strategies help to define your long-term goals and how you go about achieving them.
2. Definition of tactics
   While strategy is the action plan that takes you where you want to go, the tactics are the individual steps and actions that will get you there. In a business context, this means the specific actions teams take to implement the initiatives outlined in the strategy.

If we go back to the chess analogy, strategy is positioning your pieces in a specific arrangement to get to where you want to be. Tactics are that act of moving said pieces into those positions.

The relationship between strategies and tactics

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote, “All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” Sun Tzu illustrates that while tactics are more concrete and easier to see, an overarching strategy is equally important. The question should not be strategy vs. tactics, but strategy and tactics. Think of these two techniques as two different sides of the same coin—both are necessary to achieve your goals.

If someone is trying to reach their goals solely with strategy, they won’t get anywhere since tactics are the concrete action items that take you where you need to go. When a team only uses strategy, the only thing that they’ll be doing is planning to achieve goals instead of doing the work that needs to be done to achieve them. On the other hand, you can’t achieve your business goals on tactics alone. Tactics without strategy quickly turns into aimless work. When this is the case, people are just taking arbitrary actions with no strategic objective in place. In the short term, this can feel like busywork for team members. In the long term, it can lead to frustration, burnout, and job dissatisfaction.

Strategy Comes First!

Strategy is the overarching roadmap that guides a company toward long-term goals and answers big-picture questions. A good strategy doesn’t start with brainstorming sessions or marketing calendars. It starts with a clear understanding of what’s working, what’s not, and what hurdles need to be overcome. Without careful analysis, strategy is nothing more than random pins placed on a blank map.

Often, a detailed map with clearly identified destinations leads to a multi-year journey. It informs major business decisions, resource allocation, and the sequence in which efforts should roll out.

For example:

Strategy #1: Expand into a new market.
Target mid-sized manufacturers to diversify revenue streams and reduce dependency on existing markets.

Strategy #2: Improve operational efficiency.
Streamline processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase profitability.

Strategy #3: Launch new products or services.
Develop new offerings that meet emerging customer needs and capture untapped demand.

Strategy #4: Become a digital-first organization.
Invest in digital transformation to become more agile, data-driven, and competitive.

Each of these strategies sets direction for years, not months. To succeed, they require careful planning and enterprise-wide buy-in.

Tactics Are the Tools

Strategy sets the course, but tactics move the vehicle. These are the specific actions that support the larger strategy. Tactics are usually shorter in scope, can change quickly based on results or conditions, and are sometimes experimental.

Examples of tactics include:

Strategy #1: Expand into a new market.

Target mid-sized manufacturers to diversify revenue streams and reduce dependency on existing markets.

Tactics: Runs a LinkedIn ad campaign aimed at operations leaders, sponsor a session at an industry tradeshow, and leverage case studies tailored to mid-size manufacturers in the sales process.

Strategy #2: Improve operational efficiency.

Streamline processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase profitability.

Tactics: Implement new project management software, provide employee training on process improvement, and outsource low-value or highly specialized tasks to free up internal resources.

Strategy #3: Launch new products or services.

Develop new offerings that meet emerging customer needs and capture untapped demand.

Tactics: Conduct customer research to identify demand, launch teaser campaigns to build interest, and equip sales managers with tailored pitch decks and pilot program options.

Strategy #4: Become a digital-first organization.

Invest in digital transformation to become more agile, data-driven, and competitive.

Tactics: Upgrade the CRM platform, develop a mobile-friendly website and customer app, and automate reporting dashboards to enable faster decision-making.

Tactics should always point toward strategy goals. When they don’t, teams can waste time and resources chasing key performance indicators (KPIs) that look good in a report but don’t serve long-term objectives.

The Problem With Confusing the Two

The line between strategy and tactics gets blurred more often than people realize. It usually happens when teams jump straight into action without taking time to assess where the company currently stands.

To identify a mix-up between strategy and tactics, watch for these red flags:

1. Launching initiatives without a plan.
   Teams may roll out campaigns or projects without a clear connection to strategies and goals.
2. Changing direction frequently.
   Leaders may pivot every quarter in response to short-term trends instead of building long-term momentum.
3. Focusing on vanity metrics.
   Organizations may celebrate clicks, impressions, or likes while failing to move the business closer to meaningful outcomes.

Tactical wins can create a false sense of progress, masking the fact that the organization lacks strategic direction. When strategy is missing, tactics fill the void. That can keep people busy, but not necessarily productive or effective.