Strategy vs. Tactics: Do You Know the Difference?

When Patriots Coach Bill Belichick opted not to call timeout at the end of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks, he was using a strategy to help solve a problem. The clock was ticking, and Seattle was just a yard away from capturing the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Every precious second mattered, except to Belichick, who was able to see the confusion reigning on the opposite sideline. He ultimately decided that giving his competition time to sort out its problems would work to Seattle’s advantage. So, despite all the pleas from his staff to call a timeout, Belichick allowed the clock to keep running. He saw what others could not see because he was fully cognizant of the difference between tactics and strategy.

Tactics are knowing what to do when there is action to take. Strategy is knowing what to do when it seems there are no options.

Doing nothing for Belichick was a strategy only he could he surmise.

How often have we confused tactics for strategy? How often do we take action when we don’t remotely know what to do? If we are honest, quite a bit. We strive to be busy instead of being productive. We check our phones, even though the ringer never dings. We have an insatiable desire to always be doing something, even though thinking alone might be the best course of action at the moment. We don’t realize that strategy is abstract, based on long-term goals, whereas tactics are based on finding the best course of action at a particular moment.

Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote in “The Art of War” that “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

How do they best work together?

Strategy and tactics are both a means to an end. For example, if you want to climb a mountain, you must formulate a strategy for which physical side gives you the best chance for a successful ascent. Your tactics might include what gear you choose, who your fellow climbers are, how long the trip will take, and when the weather will be most advantageous for the climb. A strategy without tactics can’t be executed.

Spend time understanding the strategy, then develop the tactics. And always remember the best word to use when formulating the strategy is WHY — it challenges prevailing assumptions, ultimately separating great strategists from mere tacticians.

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