The Gurus Are Right

Strategy

Being able to think strategically is an important skill to develop.

It’s comes with practice and experience.

When you think strategically about your business you are taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture.

It’s the 30,000-foot view.

It’s where you map your course, plan the journey and prepare for diversions.

Strategic thinking is such an important part of business that many popular business ‘gurus’ would have you believe strategy makes or breaks the business.

And they are right.
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Tactics

Then there’s the equally popular business ‘gurus’ who will explain why success is actually all about the tactics.

And of course, they are right too.

Tactical business is the nitty-gritty, getting your hands dirty, ‘doing’ part.

When you’re executing tactics, you’re implementing.

It’s action oriented.

Implementation is the bridge between an idea and the actualisation of that idea.

It’s the reason why so many people have such great ideas yet only a handful of them ever turn that idea into a reality.
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The success loop

Many businesses find success in getting the right blend of tactics and strategy.

Quite often partnerships are made up of a someone with a ‘head for business’ (the strategist) and someone who is more technically minded (the tactician).

Someone who generates the next ideas, the next move; and someone who can run with them and figure out how to make it all real.

We must be both strategist and tactician.
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The process is cyclical:

     Step 1: Make time to strategise

      Step 2: Execute on the strategy

      Step 3: Review and return to Step 1 armed with new insight
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Easier said than done

Sounds easy. Difficult in practice.

The temptation when considering strategy is to enter the rabbit hole of ‘how’ and get lost in the realm of tactics.

Likewise, when considering tactics, we need to be mindful to not let thoughts drift onto new ideas and concepts.

If we aren't careful, nothing gets done.

Instead, let’s listen to the ‘gurus’ and make dedicated time for that one essential thing.

Strategy and tactics.