TACTICAL EXECUTION MUST ALWAYS BE RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN STRATEGY AS THEY HAPPEN - HERE'S WHY

TACTICAL EXECUTION MUST ALWAYS BE RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN STRATEGY AS THEY HAPPEN - HERE'S WHY

Those immediate detailed tasks which we carry out in our daily routines with the best possible efficiency and effective methods define our tactical execution. Tactics need us to be as nimble, vigilant and focused as possible, it requires total responsiveness and situational presence.

From an organisational context, tactics are drawn up by each respective department or function based on the technicalities of their particular line of work which could fall under the scope of professional codes and in other instances have statutory regulation.

However this seemingly transcending jurisdiction beyond the intra-organisational set up MUST NOT be perceived to divorce functions from the organisational strategy as defined by the directors of the organisation and the shareholders if they are involved.

Strategy generally is firm in it's definition in terms of timeframes and global organisational objectives, departments make up their respective strategies right down to tactics drawing from the organisational strategy.

The reference point therefore is the strategic plan of the organisation which however in the modern dynamic business world can be so confusing as it is prone to unforeseen changes due to the fluid external environment right up to international level.

It becomes very important therefore for functions within the organisation to realise and appreciate this fluidity which may completely throw out all tactical plans mid motion no matter how well executed they would have been going. This can be very frustrating for heads of departments and their teams after putting in work only to have to drop it suddenly, herein lies the gist of the discussion.

Tactical execution must always be aligned and responsive to the strategic developments in order to maintain desired direction and optimal usage of resources. There is always the temptation to finish a well played out tactical mission for the sake of satisfaction with ourselves even when strategic developments dictate abortion of that particular mission as it would no longer contribute to the overall objective as initially required. Strong progressive leaders are nimble and always resist this temptation.

 Strategic objectives are the lighthouse for different functions in the organisational ocean which can be quite vast. Constant reference and relative positioning is crucial for mapping and measuring progress.

Organisational success is  a direct result of harmonious contribution by various functions to the realisation of strategic objectives, however, isolated functional success may not positively contribute to the strategic success due to mis-alignment.

Alignment of plans in line with the strategic dynamics is very crucial and
should never be left to chance, it is a deliberate response to unforeseen developments beyond our control. For any good tactician, alignment is interpreted as tactics at work still.

Directors and shareholders are privileged by virtue of their work to stand on higher ground, see further than others and have access to more information than other people in the organisation hence their mandate of crafting strategy, however they have an enormous responsibility to deliver strategy that safeguards all stakeholders' interests and is as simple as possible to breakdown and execute otherwise there would be zero results and zero returns.

So for those privileged to
be directors and shareholders in the hierarchy it is important to build trust and coherence with the management
team so that it cascades right down
to the lowest ranked person. This building of trust leads to taking ownership of the strategy by the whole organisation. Under such circumstances responsiveness and alignment is easier to achieve and organisational success is realised.

 There are instances where to the lower ranks directors and shareholders seem to make drastic and absurd changes which make no sense at all, instead of understanding and finding ways to align with the new strategic direction people resist the change and become saboteurs of their own organisational strategy as a  result of frustration.

 Where there is harmony and trust among stakeholders the foot soldiers never hesitate to go to the battlefront
because their mindset is in line with the commanding officers and they know that their interests are safeguarded from above and any strategic changes that alter or overhaul tactical plans are well meant and necessary for overall success.

How responsive are we in our tactical
work to strategic change and development? Do we maintain right alignment? It matters for success

THE GOLDEN WORD FOUNTAIN - (TGWF)