dolphins_group blog

Theres confusion between tactics and strategy. Its easy to get tied up in semantic knots as you work to figure out the distinction. Its worth it, though, because strategy can save you when tactics fail.

If a tactic fails, you should consider abandoning it.

But that doesnt mean that theres something wrong with your strategy. Your strategy is what you keep doing even after you walk away from a tactic.

A real estate broker could decide that her goal is to get more listings.

And her strategy is to achieve that by becoming the most trusted person in town.

There are then 100 tactics she can use to earn that trust. She can coordinate events, sponsor teams, host community meetings in her office, sponsor the local rugby/golf team, be transparent about her earnings, hire countless summer interns at a fair wage, run seminars at the local library, etc.

It doesnt matter if one or two or five of the tactics arent home runs. They add up.

But if once, just once, she violates someones trust and expectations, the entire strategy goes out the window.

Tactics are disposable.

Strategy is for the long haul.