Click HERE to watch:
Strategy vs Tactics: Why It’s the Key to Success.
Learn How Clear Goals and Balanced Tactics Drive Business Results.
Why Strategy vs Tactics Is the Key to Success
Commenting on a recent blog post of mine, brand expert Andrew Wood wrote:
“…in working with over 3,000 clients over the last 30 years, I never had an owner, CEO, or marketing manager answer this question: What is your strategy? At best, they list a few tactics.”
Event maven Brian Walters added:
“…I like your comment about ‘tactics disguised as strategies.’ I’d like to go down that rabbit hole a bit.”
Let’s do it.
But first, a story.
A Lesson from Discovery Channel
The Goal: “Second Favorite Channel” – A Strategy vs Tactics Approach
Discovery Channel’s founder entered the advertising meeting and greeted the marketers, programming directors, PR managers, and salespeople in the room.
He explained why he had brought all the professionals together at Discovery Channel HQ in Bethesda, Maryland: to ensure everyone was on the same page.
The CEO’s goal was simple:
“I want us to make Discovery Channel everyone’s second favorite channel.”
The crowd’s reaction? Confusion and skepticism.
One director grumbled dismissively under his breath: “I didn’t join this new cable channel just to be second best.”
Why Settle for Second Place?
The CEO clarified:
“It’s unrealistic to believe we can ever become everyone’s favorite channel. It’s not possible. Regardless of how good we are, if you’re a movie person, you’re watching HBO. Sports fan? ESPN. News junkie? CNN. Music? MTV.”
He continued:
“But what happens when you’ve seen the movie already or the game is a drag? How about when CNN’s news cycle gets repetitive, or MTV’s music isn’t to your liking? What are you going to do then? Pick up the remote and surf right to your second favorite channel.”
This strategy vs tactics clarity allowed Discovery Channel to align every team member’s efforts.
Why Clear Strategies Matter
Strategy vs Tactics in Action: Clear Goals Drive Clear Results
It empowered every person in the room:
- The Marketers knew precisely what to promote.
- The media sales teams understood exactly how to position the channel for their clients.
- And the Programming teams knew how to edit their shows, allowing viewers to tune in anytime and be immediately captivated.
As soon as everyone understood the strategy vs tactics balance, their decisions and actions seamlessly aligned.
The Balance Between Strategy and Tactics
Lessons from Sun Tzu on Strategy vs Tactics
As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, Sun Tzu wrote:
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
This quote perfectly encapsulates the need to balance strategy vs tactics in every endeavor.
Defining Strategy vs Tactics
- Strategy: The overarching plan, vision, and objectives for achieving a goal.
- Tactics: The actionable steps taken to achieve that goal.
What’s The Risk of Imbalance in Strategy vs Tactics?
- A strategy without effective tactics leads to slow progress—like knowing your destination but lacking the tools to get there.
- Focusing on tactics without strategy results in busy, energetic actions without cohesion or purpose.
Why Strategy vs Tactics Matters
Whether you’re a leader in business, politics, sports, or personal projects, success requires balance. The key to achieving your goals is knowing when to focus on the big picture (strategy) and when to hone in on details (tactics).
Why is chaos now an accepted strategy to govern?
I don’t know that it’s “accepted,” Robin, but it does seem to be effective. While we’re all running around wringing our hands with our hair on fire, flooding the zone makes it almost impossible for any viable alternative actions to be organized and implemented. Add fear of reprisal to that equation, and you can see the walls come tumbling down. Disastrous but effective.