Once a leader has established a vision and strategies to achieve it, the next step is turning those plans into daily action. This is often where the process breaks down. On today’s episode of Lessons in Leadership, leadership expert and LearnToLead founder, Dave Anderson, discusses tactics—the final component of strategic planning—and how leaders can maintain momentum and drive accountability.
Tactics, or the “how” of strategic planning, represent the execution phase and are often where clarity and accountability begin to falter.
For example, if the vision is to sell 100 units, multiple strategies can be used to achieve it. Once a strategy is selected, the focus shifts to tactics, or the specific daily actions that bring the plan to life.
"Tactics show up in your daily routine. What will that change about your daily routine? This is where the rubber meets the road."
Achieving alignment requires resetting and redefining expectations. The first step to establish clarity is holding an effective team meeting. During this meeting, leaders should share the vision, outline the strategy and communicate the specific tactics the team will execute.
Teams must incorporate the tactics into the daily routine. Anderson calls these high-impact, non-negotiable tasks “max acts,” actions that directly move the team closer to the vision. Each “max act” must be clearly defined, and every team member should understand and be responsible for their role.
Once “max acts” are assigned and clarity is established, leaders sustain accountability by delivering daily feedback. This will reinforce productive behaviors and address performance gaps before they grow.
