Contributed by: Anthony Phillips
What does Strategy mean? I have been reading a book that defines strategy as ‘The identification of the ends the organization intends to pursue and the means chosen to achieve these ends’. But is strategy both the means and the end? If this is true, then do we still need objectives and goals? To me these have always represented the ends.
I’d like to see someone explain to my daughter, a keen footballer (OK, soccer player) that goals are no longer needed.
To me, the strategy represents the means to the end and not the end itself. One strategy can achieve many goals and one goal can be achieved through many strategies.
I think that there is a big confusion between ‘strategy’ (the noun) and ‘strategic ‘(the adjective). Buzzword terms such as Strategy Maps that really show the mapping of strategic goals not the strategy only add to this confusion.
Sure you can have strategic goals – these are your big, long term goals, as opposed to your tactical goals – which are your short term, smaller targets along the path to your strategic goals.
When my daughter plays football, her objective (her strategic goal) is to win the game. Her goal (her tactical goal) is to score a goal. Her strategies are her tactics. Her strategies include tackling hard, shooting at every opportunity, wearing makeup as war paint and following a 4 4 2 lineup. (This last one is an organizational strategy, not a strategic organization).
If my daughter confuses the strategy as the end rather than the means, the team success could be judged by who has the wildest makeup rather than who scores the most goals. This would be a big mistake. You must separate out and measure just the ends and not the means in order to determine success.
And so, to end, strategy means just the means and not the end…
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