Many times, people use these two terms interchangeably. There is a need to understand them precisely.
Dear Debi,
Strategy is a decision to resolve a situation or take advantage of an opportunity.
Tactic on the other hand is how you plan to implement the strategy
Dear @Debi, "A strategy is a larger, overall plan that can comprise several tactics, which are smaller, focused, less impactful plans that are part of the overall plan."
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Strategy_vs_Tactic
Maybe this picture depict the relation Strategy-Tactics!
http://wheelchaircurler.blogspot.com/2012/04/article-1-part-1-strategy-tactics.html
Strategy and tactics are two different terms but are inter linked. Strategy means a procedure to do something and tactics are ways being adopted to implement the strategy!
Strategy and tactics can`t be used interchangeably; they are different. Strategy refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, whereas tactics refer to procedures, or expedient for promoting a result.
A good example to define the terms.
In the picture below, the GOAL IS getting to X
STRATEGY
There are likely :to be any number of unique approaches to realizing your goal. Climbing the mountains, taking the river and crossing the desert are possible choices in this example.
TACTICS
Once you’ve determined your strategy, the tactics embody the discrete activities called for to implement it. Since we’ve decided to take the river, our tactics might include using a sailboat or swimming.
Why is it so important to know the difference? Because it’s too easy (and tempting) to jump straight from goals to tactics, without understanding why any particular strategy might be effective in the first place. And if you don’t adopt a winning strategy, no amount of tactics will get you to your goal.
While strategy fits with general-long run plans and aims\goals, tactics refer to those actions\implementations which align with detailed objectives needed to be achieved.
Strategy is the general objective. Tactics on the other hand, need to analyse carefully the powers that are against the strategic objective, and to decide the steps towards the strategic objective.
Dear @Debi, I think that strategy is way to reach a goal and it is a plan for implementation. Tactics are used to deal with the everyday issues including the issues that face the strategy.
A strategy is a blueprint which is implemented by various tactics.
Here is a nice chart I found on the Internet but it requires magnification:
These are the two parts of the same sentence. Strategy specifies the what part of the equation. It helps you answer the question what you are trying to accomplish.
The tactics is actually the how part of the equation. It specifies the methods you will adopt to achieve the target or goal.
The attached graphic from the following web site explains
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/strategic-planning-strategy-vs-tactics.html
I have thought about it before. As my husband, former officer, said - it is continous process:
- strategy (strategic level) usually aims at fulfilling political goals,
- operations (operational level) usually aims at fulfilling strategic goals,
- tactics (tactical level) usually aims at fulfilling operational goals,
- single soldier/person usually aims at fulfilling tactical goals.
Of course it may be redirected toward corporational policy, e.g. mission-vision-goal, etc.
A good illustration for the difference:
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
--Sun Tzu
Indeed Sun Tzu is a classic in strategy and a great read.
Strategy is the big higher level plan, while tactics are the detailed plans on the ground. Their aggregation represents the overall strategy.
Strategy is framework to achieve goal usually dominan on planning and evaluation.
Tactisc more to action in achieving goals usually dominant on implementation testing and experiment part.
They are different, in the way Strategy, as a coordinated view of one organization in the future, proposes an overall guidance for Tactical planning for the set of entrepreneurial disciplines, as Logistics, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing and so on.
"A strategy is a larger, overall plan that can comprise several tactics, which are smaller, focused, less impactful plans that are part of the overall plan." For the difference, please also see: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Strategy_vs_Tactic
These two concepts are different. Acording to the opinion of experts on this important subject, a strategy can be defined as a larger, overall plan that can comprise several tactics, which are smaller, focused, less impactful plans that are part of the overall plan. While the original usage of the terms strategy and tactic was in a military context, they are now used in a wide variety of everyday settings, including business. Essentially, the strategy is the thinking aspect of planning a change, organizing something, or planning a war. The strategy lays out the goals that need to be accomplished and the ideas for achieving those goals. Strategy can be complex multi-layered plans for accomplishing objectives and may give consideration to tactics.
The tactics themselves are the things that get the job done. Tactics are the meat and bread of the strategy. They are the “doing” aspect that follows the planning. Tactics refer specifically to action. In the strategy phase of a plan, the thinkers decide how to achieve their goals. In other words, they think about how people will act, i.e., tactics. They decide on what tactics will be employed to fulfill the strategy.
Strategies can comprise numerous tactics, with many people involved in attempting to reach an overall goal. While strategy tends to involve the higher ups of an organization, tactics tend to involve all members of the organization.
In military usage, a distinction is made between strategy and tactics. Strategy is the utilization, during both peace and war, of all of a nation's forces, through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory. Tactics is the military science that deals with securing objectives set by strategy, especially the technique of deploying and directing troops, ships, and aircraft in effective maneuvers against an enemy.
The usage of the words strategy and tactic in business is also derived from the original military context. A business strategy is different from a tactic in that different tactics may be deployed as part of a single strategy. For example, one strategy to gain market share would be brand building. As part of a company's brand building strategy, they may adopt different tactics like online advertising and celebrity endorsements.
Wow! Many thanks for your interesting threads. It is fascinating to read all the answers, each better than the other. Thanks so much indeed.
Dear Behrouz, I liked the image you added. it is such a wonderful illustration. Dear Nages, Ljubomir and Ziad, the charts you have attached are very helpful in comprehending the two terms. Dear Kamal, your imaginative framing of the answers always reflects your thoughtful disposition and brilliant mind. I am very sure there must be hundreds of admirers for precision in your surgical skills as well. Dear Jorge, your explanations are always comprehensive and contain a lot of learning fr the reader. your imaginative involvement in the exercise is always appreciable.
Dear Emilla, your husband's classification has added greater clarity to the four terms; thanks to you and him as well. Shafig's one small sentence is a great summary of the distinction; and so is two-sentence quote of dear Issam. The posts of dear Amir, Mahfuz, Alexandre, Mohamed, Dony, George, and Mohammed are value-adding too. Tonnes of thanks to you all for your participation in this exercise. .
Dear Debi. Many thanks for your comments on my ideas about the subject.
Dear Debi. Strategy and tactics are different.
in a soccer game:
-Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory.
-Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
To exemplify the differences between them further I use some soccer terms:.
In Barcelona FC, The way the team plays, i.e., Tiki-Taka' football, is called tactics but the team arrangement, i.e., 4-3-3, is the coach strategy. (Barcelona and Arsenal both employ the attacking 4-3-3 formation)
Dear Mahmoud
Thanks for the interesting football example. Much appreciated. It is correct that, victory is not possible without strategy. I believe, every war and every game involves adoption of strategy and tactics both. So are most business projects.
If we have tactics along with strategy, they can help a faster realization of strategy. They are the small steps taken towards a fuller implementation of strategy.
I think all teams, competing sides, etc have strategy as well as tactics. Those who do not have tactics, as you said, may be at the slowest speed, or may even lose out completely.
Tactics are not for long term. Strategy can be for the short-, med-, or long term.
TACTICS are practical and sensible methods of implementing STRATEGY.
Strategy is a company’s game plan for achieving its goals. After we have created the strategies, we have to execute them, on what’s known as the tactics. they are very different but related as one can’t work well without the other.
There are so many excellent comments in discussion, thanks a lot for all! There is my 2 cents: Strategy is constant, but tactics is highly variable. In the other words, tactics may change every minutes, and it highly dependent from "environment". It like in football: the tactics to win were dependent from the weather, for example. But the most important point that one should always keep in mind global aim and have an understanding how each you step participate in the reaching of the aim.
STRATEGY IS THE ENTIRE BRIDGE .EACH EXPANSION JOINT ON THE BRIDGE IS A TACTIC
the strategy and tactic difference can be displayed with an example.
a person decide to study for a better life( strategy).
when he or she will going to university or college can go with bus ,taxi or metro ( tactic)
this shown respectively and level of strategy and tactic. the strategy is target and the tactic is instrument or ways for achieving to target
Tactics are low level manager affair while strategy is top level affair. Tactics are helpful for strategies.
Strategy and Tactics are different constructs .The best way to differentiate them will be to see strategy as an entire BRIDGE that connects an organisation to its OBJECTIVE whereas the EXPANSION JOINTS on the bridge defines the various TACTICS
Strategy is a pattern of decisions; it determines and reveals objectives, purposes, goals, it produces the principal policies and plans for goal achievement, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic or human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. Strategic decisions cover long periods of time and commit large amounts of resources. The pattern defines the central character of the company, its image, and its position in its industry and markets. The pattern will allow the specification of action plans and resource allocations. Parts of the pattern will rarely change, while other parts will change greatly. Company character is likely to persist. A strategy must be set of integrated goals and policies that crystallize from the formless reality of a company's environment a set of problems an organization can seize upon and solve.
Dear @Haitham, there is no need for plagiarism. You must cite original resource! Here it is!
STRATEGY, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND STRATEGIC THINKING by Fred Nickols
https://nickols.us/strategy_etc.pdf
http://www.eauc.hk/show.asp?id=81
Strategy relates with long-term direction and means to achieve the organisational goals, whereas tactics appear during the course of strategy execution.
Strategic is the long term plan while tactics are the short term measures or mini plans undertaken in ensuring full implementation of the strategy. Best regards
Dickson
• Strategy is the commitment to the plan that the thrust of the tactic is to adapt the plan according to the situation
• Strategy is the overall plan to reach the ultimate goal while the tactic is a partial plan to achieve a partial goal.
• The strategy is long, slow and long-term if the tactic is a reaction and short-term. • The strategy is developed for future results while the tactic is for current results.
• Strategy is based on planning and logical thinking in the case of tactics is more creative.
Tactically win a battle and strategy win the war!
Tactics should always be subject to a general strategy to ensure that interventions are consistent with goals
Strategy means putting a plan for achieve during along time (5,10,20yrs ),whereas tactic means how to achieve part of this plan during a short period(1 year for example),or achieving something at a current time.
During achieved Tactic that leads to achieve strategy So, tactic is short term objective but strategy is long term objective . in other hand, Can't reach to strategy if not achieve the tactic. in addition of that, the strategy consists into many tactics.
The big difference, is that, the Strategy is a long-term movement and the tactic is a short term allowing it to adjust to untimely changes in the market.
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