THE Difference Maker... Part 2 -- Day 6/365

Yesterday I began a discussion of strategy versus tactics.

The core thing I wanted to do was crystallize --  in your mind -- what the terms really meant.  I used the example of a symphony versus a instrumental soloist to drive the concept home.

Strategy is all about orchestrating multiple factors so that they play upon and compliment one another... thus creating a much larger impact and generating much greater results than the factors ever could alone.

Tactics are the factors that make up the strategy.  They are the pieces of the grand puzzle.  The are the individual players in the symphony.

And in business -- just as in music -- most people haven't cultivated the ability to compose and conduct that finely orchestrated, strategic work.  They dabble in tactics... isolated factors... and wonder why their business isn't having the impact on the market that they think it should.

Here's today's biggest question:

So... have you been strategic with your business?  Have you carefully woven the pieces (actions, activities, daily efforts, etc.) together into an impactful, carefully complimentary whole?  Or do you have a mess of tactics jumbled together... tactics that, yes -- are related, but that don't really advance and enhance one another as you execute them?

You are going to engage in tactics no matter what.

So why not make sure they "harmonize" with one

another to get you the best results possible?

TAKEAWAY:  Impactful, high performance businesses are strategic.  Most businesses, however, are tactical.  That means if you can become increasingly strategic with everything your business does, you can begin to beat the competition in ways you never dreamed possible.

ACTION STEP:  Get some time alone to thing about your business.  Come up with a real answer to this question:  What is the ultimate outcome, or impact, you want your business to have on your market?  Once you have the answer, give it some time to sink in.  The answer will help you identify the strategy you need to create.  Then get alone again.  Come up with a real answer to these questions:  How can I begin to orchestrate the tactics my business is engaged in so that they clearly advance and enhance on another?  What tactics can I eliminate?  And are there any tactics I should add to create a more impactful, effective strategy?

Every time I see an enterprise make the shift from tactical to strategic, the resulting impact is almost always immediate and strikingly dramatic.  So get out there, tune things up, and make the change.

To Your Enduring Success,