About Geoffrey P. Chamberlain offers his perspective on the components of strategy, useful when the strategy is more about a personal goal. He identifies seven parts:
<ul>
<li>A strategy is used within a particular domain.</li>
<li>A strategy has a single, well-defined focus.</li>
<li>A strategy lays out a path to be followed.</li>
<li>A strategy is made up of parts (tactics).</li>
<li>Each of a strategy’s parts pushes towards the defined focus.</li>
<li>A strategy recognizes its sphere of influence.</li>
<li>A strategy is either intentionally formed or emerges naturally.</li>
</ul>

The Components of Strategy

Strategy is the overarching plan or set of goals. Tactics are the specific actions or steps you undertake to accomplish your strategy.
A personal strategy might be to get into a particular career, whereas your tactics might include choosing your educational path, seeking out a helpful mentor, or distinguishing yourself from the competition.
Without a strategy, you run the risk of ambling through life, confused about your progress. Without tactics, you become dependent on pure luck to implement your strategy.

Strategy And Tactics Are Complementary

Even the most elegant, well-planned strategy is useless if we do not take thoughtful steps to achieve it. While the overall goal remains stable, the steps we take to achieve it must be flexible enough to adjust to the short-term realities of our situation.
Tactics often center around the efficient use of available resources, whether money, people, time, ammunition, or materials. Tactics also tend to be shorter-term and more specific than strategies.

About Tactics

If you don’t have a strategy, you are part of someone else’s strategy.”

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.”

“Without a strategy, facing up to any problem or striving for any objective would be considered negligent. Certainly, no military campaign, company investment, or government initiative is likely to receive backing unless there is a strategy to evaluate…. There is a call for strategy every time the path to a given destination is not straightforward.”

Strategy and tactics are two terms that get thrown around a lot, often used interchangeably. But what exactly do they mean, what is the difference, and why is it important? In this article, we look at the contrast between strategy and tactics, and the most effective ways to use each, whether you're trying to win a war, start a business, or reach any other important objective.

LAWRENCE FREEDMAN

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