Strategy, Tactics & Strategy Deployment

By Pascal Dennis

Much confusion about these.

Let's use a military analogy to shed some light.

Strategy entails deciding where, when and with what forces to fight the battle.

Tactics entails deciding how to fight the battle.

In a large organization, therefore, strategy entails answering questions like:

1. What markets do we want to be in?
   


2. What segments do we want to focus on?
   


3. What technologies will we focus on?
   


4. What resources (factories, design centres, distribution channels & centers, etc) will we use in each market?
   

What resources (factories, design centres, distribution channels & centers, etc) will we use in each market?

Such questions are usually linked to deeply thought out company policies.

Tactics is about translation of strategy at the local level -- and about execution, which entails answering questions like:

1. How will we fight this particular battle -- in this region, market, product line/value stream?
   


2. What specific actions are required by each site, department & team?
   


3. How will be deploying these actions?
   


4. How will we monitor & adjust these actions?
   


5. How will we engage our people?
   


6. How will we build capability so that our future is bright?
   

As a general rule, tactics & execution are more difficult that strategy.

Here's a military aphorism: "Any damn fool can make a strategy. It's the execution that screws you up!"

Strategy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri) is the planning & execution system that translates strategy into concrete tactics, and provides the means of execution.

Getting the Right Things Done and The Remedy illustrates what this looks & feels like.

Trust that helps.

More to come.