Stratactics - The Alchemy of Strategy and Tactics
Time Compression Demands A New Methodology To Attain Sustainable Competitive Advantage
By David Miranda
Today, the business environment is like a NASCAR race.
Take a NASCAR driver vying to compete at almost 200MPH. Imagine the countless split second decisions that need to be made and the physical and mental skills required during the course of a 500 mile race. The objective? Stay in one piece and cross the finish line before anyone else. The successful driver begins with a race strategy but continually must employ tactics during the race to ultimately come out on top. Call it "stratactics" - where strategy and tactics are alchemized into a powerful "alloy".
Such is the case in today's volatile marketplace. Things are moving fast, aggressive competitors are bent on "putting you out of the race" exploiting your tiniest hesitation or miscalculation.
What is needed in business today is a "stratactical" approach.
Stratactics is the morphing of strategic vision and tactical execution. Gone are the days of having the luxury of spending weeks and months in the planning process defining strategy and then developing the tactics to be employed. It is the tyranny of the urgent.
What to do?
- Protect the decision-making process from bureaucracy. It robs the business of time-sensitivity.
- Surround yourself with wise, experienced people - smart, knowledgeable, intelligent is not enough.
- Find out what is working and keep doing more of it.
- Find out what is not working and stop doing more of it.
- Wanting to succeed is not enough; have an attitude of "not being afraid to fail".
- Live in the moment but with an eye on the horizon. Carpe diem.
- Communicate relentlessly with both internal and external stakeholders.
