Strategy
Strategy
Plain English
A plan for achieving a goal.
Definition
Strategy is a high-level plan that defines long-term goals and the approach to achieving them.
In practice
Used to guide decision-making, glossaryPrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term, and resource allocation across an organisation or product.
In context
The test is whether it rules anything out. A statement everyone can agree with, that excludes no option, is a mission statement wearing a strategy's clothes.
The reality
Many strategies are too vague to be useful - glossaryClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term and focus are what make them effective.
Compared with
Strategy vs Plan
A strategy is the set of choices about where to compete and how to win. A plan is the sequence of actions that follow. Plans change constantly; if the strategy changes at the same rate, it was never one.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What is a strategy?
A strategy is a plan for achieving long-term goals.
Why is strategy important?
It provides direction and helps prioritise decisions.
What makes a good strategy?
glossaryClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term, focus, and glossaryAlignmentAlignment is a shared understanding of goals and priorities across teams and stakeholders, strong enough that people act consistently without checking first. It is not the same thing as everyone agreeing.Open glossary term with goals.
How is strategy different from tactics?
Strategy defines the plan, while tactics are the actions taken to execute it.
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