Tactics Are Not Strategies

July 15, 2024

Good morning! It is very comforting and satisfying to witness the civility, formality, and tradition of Wimbledon. Such a contrast to the way in which most events are conducted nowadays. And, to be visited by the elegant Princess herself… my oh my. Is it better to have mowed the lawn in the early morning while still laden with heavy dew — and in 99% humidity? Or would it have been better to have mowed dry grass in the heat of the day?

• “Genuine love will break your heart.  We have to be satisfied by that.  There is no cure.”  (Talafous by way of Charpentier)
• If you are traveling through the Deep South in the U.S. and you run low on ammo, do not despair, you can now replenish your supply from roadside vending machines.
  • Truth is often stranger than fiction.  We do not have data on the specific inventories available, but presumably whatever you might need you’ll be able to find.
• What does it say about me if I’ve only read four of the so-called Best 100 Books of the 21st Century — according to The New York Times?
  • (I have a friend and colleague who has probably read all of them, I would guess.)
  • Google-up the list if you haven’t been following the crescendoing drum roll this past week.
• Remember the, “Is it live — or is it Memorex?” commercials?
  • Those had to have been at least fifty years ago… has much really changed since then?
• Among the amazing works of art I’ve experienced is Michelangelo’s David on display in Florence.
  • Not that I know a thing about art, but this glistening marble behemoth stopped me in my tracks.
  • Now, here’s the thing, is the following description written by me — or by Generative Artificial Intelligence — or is it hybrid; i.e., some of each?
    • Standing before Michelangelo’s David for the first time is an overwhelming experience.
    • As I enter the room and my eyes land on the statue, a wave of awe washes over me.
    • The sheer size of the marble figure is breathtaking, far grander than I had imagined.
    • The intricate details — the veins on his hands, the intense expression on his face, the lifelike texture of his muscles — are mesmerizing.
    • A sense of reverence fills me, knowing I’m standing in the presence of a masterpiece sculpted by one of history’s greatest artists.
    • I feel a deep connection to the past, imagining the painstaking hours Michelangelos spent chiseling this iconic figure.
    • The beauty and perfection of David evoke a mixture of admiration and inspiration, reminding me of the limitless potential of human creativity and skill.
• Among my pet peeves (I have too many!) is the misuse of the word strategy when the correct term is tactics — and vice versa.
  • Who cares, after all, as long as you are all on the same page?  Call it peas and corn for all I care.
    • (Speaking of which, it’s almost time for Janson corn; you can’t get better!)
  • But, one is the big picture (strategy) and the other is the day-to-day actions undertaken to achieve strategy; i.e., tactics.
  • Would you invite your employees to vote on a strategic (big picture) direction?  
  • Owners and executives often fear they’ll lose control and speed by engaging employees in strategic planning, but maybe there is a way…
  • “Successful strategic planning goes beyond setting the right strategic priorities; it involves putting your people at the heart of it.”  (Loudon)
• Among my favourites of all time:  “Everyone brings joy to this room, some when they enter, some when they leave.”
• Another new favourite:  “Lecturing isn’t inspiring.”  (Boelz)
• A phenomenon we and others predicted would happen  a decade or more ago is finally starting to manifest.
  • Many traditional four-year colleges (there are about 3,400 of them in the U.S.) are starting to experience greater competition for fewer students.
  • And, those fewer students are starting to choose different paths to education, vocations, productivity, and happiness.
  • Schools unprepared for these external threats — and internal threats precipitated by the external stuff — are scrambling to survive, let alone thrive.
  • Mergers, partnerships, collaboration, specialization, vision, and a strategic plan will help IF it’s not too late.
• The $5.3 billion churn (Rahilly, Etc., et al., 2024)
  • “Our economic progress is at stake. If we don’t have skilled tradespeople to build highways, real estate, and new housing, or we don’t have the workers needed for areas critical for our national defense, our economic prosperity and liberty are at stake.”
  • “There is skyrocketing demand for these roles.
  • When you look at… construction spending, it could expand job market supply by 345,000 jobs… it costs a lot of money to continuously hire workers in to these roles only to have them leave because they don’t have career advancement, they’re not treated well, or they don’t have flexibility…”
  • The Generation Zs, though they are more interested in toolbelt work than previous generations, are not making up the difference between supply and demand, but they’re helping…
  • “In our research, we found that churn is costing companies $5.3 billion in talent acquisition and training costs every year.
  • There is a whole transformation that needs to occur in terms of how we embrace these workers.
  • And a pivotal role is that supervisory–managerial layer.
  • It’s important to think through how we can equip that role to really embrace this talent.
  • This really can, in some cases, affect national security or the future of economic growth in our country.”  (Ibid.)