Most people have a vague, if not incorrect, definition of strategy, often confusing it with tactics. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Many people derive definition through association. Over time, misuse of the words Strategy, Strategic, Tactics and Tactical have obscured their meaning, so much so that for many organizations “strategy” has become a barrier to success.

Before you can formulate a strategy, your team must share a common and accurate definition. Ensuring that your definition is clear and simple makes for better communication.

What is strategy?
The word strategy is rooted in the military and is derived from the Greek word for general (Origin: Stratēgía Generalship). Strategy can be defined as a plan of action designed to influence and control events to achieve a particular goal.

To define strategy we must also define tactics. The term tactics, also of Greek Origin (taktikós), refers to moving, arranging or ordering. Tactics are actions for executing strategy. So, while strategy is a big picture plan, tactics are the actions for executing the plan. Yet, illustrating that tactics are how strategy is executed, still does not fully explain strategy.

Strategy: A Mathematic Definition
Colonel (Ret) Arthur F. Lykke Jr. of the U.S. Army War College developed a “strategic framework”. Defining strategy as a mathematic equation, Colonel Lykke outlines the whole, its parts and the relationship between them. He provides a framework that is clear, simple and elegant.

Strategy = ƒ(ways + means + ends)

Ways: Actions taken to achieve goal (Tactics)
Means: Resources available to the organization
Ends: Desired goal state and assumed risks

Note that ends (the desired goal state) is based on predefined view of success. This can take many forms and it is unlikely that every organization will define it the same way. However, this also begins to explain why so many confuse strategy and tactics. When one misunderstands their own role relative to the big picture, they begin to misunderstand the goal. Of course this also occurs as people attempt to position a small idea as being larger than it actually is.

A team that understands strategy, understands how and where they fit in. Without an accurate definition of strategy it’s unlikely that your organization’s actions will support its definition of success.