What if doing things right is the wrong thing to do?
We’re obsessed with tactics. The perfect Instagram post. The flawless sales pitch. The viral tweet. Tactics are shiny, measurable, and addictive. But tactics alone are like planting seeds in a hurricane. Without strategy, you’re just busy, not effective.
Here’s the truth: Tactics are how you play the game. Strategy is why you’re playing at all.
The Seduction of Tactics
A chef masters the art of chopping onions. A marketer obsesses over subject line A/B tests. A runner tweaks their stride.
Tactics feel productive. They give you checklists, progress bars, dopamine hits. But tactics are answers without a question.
Imagine a bakery owner spending hours perfecting Instagram Reels while her store’s lease expires. The tactic (social media) isn’t wrong. The absence of strategy (Why are we posting? Who is it for? What happens if it works?) is the problem.
Tactics are easy to love. They never ask you to think too hard.
The Illusion of Strategy
On the flip side, “strategy” has become a buzzword for vague dreaming.
A team spends months crafting a vision statement: “Empower customers through innovative solutions!” Then they go back to doing the same things they did last quarter.
Strategy isn’t a slogan. It’s a roadmap. It’s the decision to stop doing things, not just start.
A real strategy answers:
- What are we optimizing for? (Not “growth” or “success”—specific outcomes.)
- What won’t we do, even if it’s popular?
- How do we know if we’re off track?
Without tactics, strategy is a speech. Without strategy, tactics are noise.
The Dance
Great outcomes happen when strategy and tactics talk to each other.
Example:
- Strategy: A local bookstore wants to become the hub for parenting communities.
- Tactics: Host monthly author talks for new moms. Stock used baby carriers. Create a “quiet corner” for toddlers.
The tactics aren’t random. They’re in service to a clear point of view.
When tactics align with strategy, you stop chasing and start choosing.
The Cost of Imbalance
Too much strategy: Paralysis. Endless planning. A nonprofit debates mission statements while families wait for meals.
Too many tactics: Exhaustion. A startup founder burns out launching TikTok, podcasts, and webinars—all while ignoring sinking customer retention.
Balance isn’t splitting time 50/50. It’s letting strategy tell tactics where to focus.
How to Marry Them (Without the Divorce)
- Start with “Why” but end with “How.”
Strategy begins with, “What change do we want to make?”
Tactics answer, “What’s the smallest step we can take today toward that change?”
A fitness coach’s strategy: Help clients build lifelong habits.
A tactic: Send a daily 8 a.m. text asking, “Did you stretch today?” - Kill the “What” without a “Why.”
Before adopting a tactic, ask: “Does this get us closer to our strategic goal?”
If you’re launching a podcast because “everyone’s doing it,” stop. If you’re launching it to deepen relationships with loyal customers, go deeper. - Schedule a weekly “Why Check.”
Every Friday, review your tactics. For each one, ask:- Does this still align with our strategy?
- Is there a better way to get there?
- Should we drop this to make room for something else?
The Myth of the Silver Bullet
We want tactics to save us. “If I just find the right SEO hack, my site will rank!” “If I mimic that viral video, my product will blow up!”
But tactics are mirrors. They reflect your strategy.
A pizza shop owner who wants to “be the fastest delivery in town” could buy better ovens (tactic). But if her strategy is actually “Be the place for birthday parties,” speed matters less than balloons, cake deals, and photo booths.
Tactics work when they’re intentional. Not when they’re impulsive.
Strategy Is Stepping Back (Even When It Hurts)
In 2012, Adobe stopped selling boxed software. They bet everything on the cloud. Stock prices plunged. Critics howled.
But their strategy wasn’t about boxes vs. subscriptions. It was about owning creativity workflows. Today, Adobe’s tools are embedded in design, photography, and marketing.
Strategy requires saying no to good ideas so great ones can breathe.
Tactics Are the Practice, Not the Game
A pianist doesn’t master a concerto by playing scales faster. She plays scales with intention. Each note serves the piece.
Your tactics are the scales. Your strategy is the concerto.
When you practice tactics mindlessly, you get better at… practicing. When you link them to strategy, you make music.
The Feedback Loop That Matters
A farmer doesn’t judge success by how many seeds she plants. She judges it by the harvest.
Build your own loop:
- Strategy sets the goal (“Grow drought-resistant crops”).
- Tactics test the path (Install soil sensors. Test three seed varieties).
- Results inform the next strategy (Double down on the seeds that thrived).
Without this loop, you’re just guessing.
Try This Today
Pick one tactic you’re spending time on. Ask:
- “What’s the strategic goal this serves?”
- “If it serves none, why am I doing it?”
Then, pick one strategic goal. Ask:
- “What’s one tiny tactic I can try this week to advance it?”
Example:
- Tactic audit: “I’m posting on LinkedIn daily.”
- Strategic link: “To build trust with HR clients.”
- Better tactic: Comment on 5 HR posts daily with thoughtful insights instead.
The Takeaway
Strategy without tactics is a daydream.
Tactics without strategy are a treadmill.
Success isn’t about choosing between them. It’s about making them dance.
Stop asking, “What should I do?” Start asking, “Why does it matter?”
The future belongs to those who think and do.
What will you stop doing today to make room for what matters?
P.S. The opposite of reading this post? Applying one idea from it. Pick one. Now.