Strategy vs Tactic: Synonymous? No. Complementary? Absolutely!

Many of us (myself included) have undoubtedly used the words strategy and tactic interchangeably at some point in our lives.  Whether it’s in an intense game of Monopoly, on the soccer pitch, or while ironing out the most successful business model, strategies and tactics are crucial components.  These words, however, are not synonymous; they are complementary! Strategies and tactics are meant to work in tandem in order to achieve one’s goals (whether it be driving your opponent to bankruptcy in Monopoly or becoming the top sports medicine clinic in the area) and one cannot work effectively without the other.  So let’s hash out those differences…

Strategy, is identifying clear, broad goals that advance the person or organization. Tactics are the specific methods a person or organization will employ in order to achieve that strategy. Going back to the Monopoly example (because, let’s face it, it’s a GREAT game), if the goal (and therefore strategy) is to force the opponent into bankruptcy, a tactic might be to buy all of the orange properties because it’s been found that players land on those most often and generate the most revenue for their opponent.   

To help clarify the distinction, here are a few other examples:

Strategy	Corresponding Tactic
Invade Normandy	Tanks, Infantry, Battle Plan
Get out of Debt	Budget, Pay off Credit Cards
Exercise More	Hire Personal Trainer
Eat Better	Work with Dietician
Spend more time with my children	Commit to getting out of office by 5:30 pm
Be more mindful	Meditate for 30 minutes before bedtime

Choosing to look at a more relevant example that we see here often at Lake Washington Sports & Spine is the common strategy to “lose weight”.  Losing weight is the overall goal for the person, but unless specific tactics are designed to achieve that strategy, there will be disorder and ultimately failure in achieving weight loss.  If the strategy is to lose weight, one might say a tactic is to hire a personal trainer, commit to seeing them twice a week and cutting out sweets from his/her diet.  On the flip side, it is important to note that one cannot have tactics without strategies.  If this were the case, the person would have no big picture, no goal to strive toward. 

The reason why this important to us here at LWSS is because all of our patients’ treatment plans are based on the balanced relationship between strategies and tactics.  Patients often come into our office with a strategy, a larger goal they wish to achieve.  Dr. Hyman and Dr. Chimes are the ones who advise and prescribe different tactics that will help the patient reach his/her goals.

To help make an even stronger point is the realization that when patients fail to reach their goals, it’s usually because of tactical errors, rather than strategic errors. To use a parallel example, why do people hire accountants?   Is it because they need help with strategy or tactics?  Certainly the accountant can offer strategic advice (like lowering the total amount that you pay in taxes every year), but the main benefit of an accountant is helping on the nitty-gritty tactical details, such as taking advantage of certain deductions, or making purchases before after January 1 because of changes in the tax code.

Similarly, patients benefit from physicians the most when they utilize physicians for tactical advice.  As Lisa Huynh noted in her Meet the Expert interview, the thing that separates the good doctors from the great doctors is their ability to give specific, deliberate, and actionable advice on tactics to achieve your goals.  That is what we strive to do here at Lake Washington Sports & Spine, and we think it’s part of the “secret sauce” that makes for a better patient experience.