Strategic vs. Tactical: Let’s Align

Effective leadership requires a balanced attention to strategic and tactical requirements and outcomes. Strategy and tactics are two different and distinct business functions and practices. An easy way to remember the difference is that strategy is doing the right thing. Tactics enable us to do things the right way. Obviously, the tactics should be aligned with the strategy.

Strategic planning facilitators are accountable for increasing the strategic intelligence of the community bank and increasing forward thinking. Future-oriented visions support your bank in these ways:

• Building a learning culture
• Increasing futuristic thinking
• Solving problems before the problem knocks on the door
• Expanding capacity for making the right decisions
• Recognizing emerging trends and patterns
• Understanding what possible future events may impact your business model
• Predicting potential problems
• Foreseeing the outcome of planned projects
• Developing and deploying sound backup strategies
• Planning future growth, typically within 3 – 5 years, that is aligned with the mission, vision, and values.

Organizations strive for an operating model that leverages the competence of its team members. Technically, superb strategic plans are built at spring and fall strategic planning sessions and, for many organizations, fall short of effective deployment. Many employees still do not have clarity on how their role aligns with strategy. Therefore, there is a good chance that the tactics may not proactively support the larger strategic vision in pursuit of excellence.

Relevant strategic planning and tactical actions align with organization excellence. Tactical intelligence is in the here and now—today—by providing:

• Analysis of competitive conditions
• Steps to remain competitive and relevant
• Actions to fulfill strategic objectives
• Accountability assignments to fulfill strategic objectives
• Most efficient use of current resources to achieve strategy
• Most efficient use of resources to manage risks and challenges related to strategic plans
• Short-term orientation, typically within a year

Board members often declare that they will be more strategic and look for ways to shift their perspective on what “strategic” means in the form of board leadership. Distinguishing between a tactical versus a strategic conversation and decision type is a learned skill that strategic planning facilitators and CEOs can utilize to support the board members. When a board member starts to go tactical, a gentle nudge back to the strategic path is necessary.

Tactical leadership requires analysis and action. Tactical plans are typically smaller in scale, short range, and serve a larger purpose. Strategic leadership requires the art and science of communicating a compelling vision and the enlistment of broad support for developing longer-range plans in service of the greater vision.

Historically, too many organizational cultures have focused on results-oriented management in service of the customer—and such an approach often persists today. Buzz terms, such as “efficiency,” “measurable,” “rational,” “service oriented,” and “bottom-line-oriented,” are explicit in planning processes. Forward thinking in strategic planning is gradually being elevated. This higher-level strategic thinking at the board and executive level is conducive to a strong strategic partnership.

Organizational excellence is sustainable with a strategic partnership between the “thinkers” and the “tacticians.” The “thinkers” are entrusted with, and accountable for, the use of community bank data to make strategic decisions to direct the company into the future. Tactical intelligence requires company-wide attention across multiple functional areas.

Move into your spring strategic planning session with the right people in the right roles with effective coordination, collaboration, and communication. Strive for organizational excellence by seeking to increase strategic and tactical intelligence.

Space is precious! Finding space in our day is a challenge. We are booked with meetings, phone calls, reports to write, and board packets to prepare. We arrive in a hurry in the morning, get our coffee, and go to work. Many of us don’t even bother with lunch. At the end of the day, we cross items off the “To Do List” and head home. Just to start all over again tomorrow.

Good leadership necessitates that we take care of ourselves. Research indicates that a few minutes of self-care throughout our workday improves our cognitive ability, manages our blood sugar levels, and improves our mood. Overall, our daily work and relationships are much easier with a few minutes of self-care.

I interview and coach leaders all over the country and observe how they manage their days. Here are a few tidbits that help them be successful. Maybe these will work for you.

Take breaks: Believe it or not, you will get more work done if you take breaks. Give your mind and body time to renew. Do something different. Get out of your workspace and walk around, find natural lighting and fresh air, drink a glass of water, or eat an apple. In addition to a lunch hour (away from your desk) take at least two 15 minute breaks a day. You will have more energy at the end of the day, be more productive, and in a more positive mood.

Schedule Staff Meetings in mid afternoon: More people say yes to midafternoon meetings because, hopefully, they are better prepared and know the meeting won’t drag on so late in the day close to the end of the workday. Give your day a few minutes of space by changing meetings to 50 minutes in length. Start them at 5 minutes past the hour and complete by 55 minutes past the hour. So, start at 3;05 p.m. and finish by 3:55 pm. Use the last 5 minutes to wrap up agreed to commitments, action, and timeframe. Be on time! If you start late, end on time.

Keep healthy snacks handy: Plan your food ahead and bring healthy snacks so they are readily available. A favorite snack in our office is sliced apples with peanut butter. Mixed nuts are great to keep around as are frozen fruit and protein powder to mix in our kitchen Bullet.

Walk around meetings: Start a new tradition by taking a walk when meeting with one or two others. Moving the body increase blood flow and energy, which feeds our creative juices. Our clients get excited about this new practice of meeting and we constantly hear “These are the best meetings!” Look for space and action that increase the ability to be in better relationship. A simple walk goes a long way!

Control the email urge: On average, we spend 28% of our day on email. That is a lot of time. Turn on the email app twice a day and get in and get out! Take that extra time to develop other leaders or take a break!

Start finding those spaces in your day when you will practice self-care. As a leader, be an effective role model about how others can be as a leader.