Understanding Strategy VS. Tactics.
What it really takes to launch a successful, sustainable, profitable, and peaceful business for the long haul.
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” —Sun Tzu
One of the greatest challenges I face in consulting for entrepreneurs is getting them to put a strategy together. The tendency is to get stuck in tactics and issues alone.
A strategy is the goal setting and KPIs (key performance indicators) and based on a one year commitment. If someone is really in the weeds then temporarily, we’ll at least put together a 90 day strategic plan.
Once the strategy is in place, then we can develop the tactics required according to a plan to meet the near-term goals. Since we now have the end in mind, the tactics required to meet near term goals are done strategically to be moving us towards our long-term goals and the ultimate vision for the company.
This discipline was a hard one for me to learn. I feel bad for the guy that had to teach it to me. He probably doesn’t like me anymore☹ However, you do not get very far without it. This includes many fairly successful clients I have and still work with who are doing relatively well, but they are either stressed, putting out fires all of the time, have trouble with employees, and/or have hit their head on a ceiling lower than they hoped.
We are going to walk you through the 1 year strategic plan as well as make sure you have access to the templates you need to put them together. Great companies are crystal clear on where they want to be in 3 years and 90 days. The rest evolves.
Therefore, this week, work on getting very clear on where you want to be in 1 year and 90 days for starters. This is your set of GOALS – which are the specific financial metrics or numbers (Eg: enrollment, leads, visits, and conversions) and your KPIS – which focus more on performance (Eg: Social media proficiency, mastery of treatment based on lab or x-ray findings, implementation of the new software system, 2 major partnerships set up, sales people making 40 calls/day).
“Building a visionary company requires one percent vision and 99 percent alignment.”
—Jim Collins and Jerry Porras; Built to Last
