When I started my first PR job many, many years ago, one of the fabulous managers I worked with gave me an analogy for the framework of a good PR plan:
· Objective – have a fabulous holiday
· Strategies – fly to the destination
· Tactics – check air miles, book tickets etc
I’ve since expanded my knowledge to include the layers of Goals, KPI’s etc – but for my 21-year old self, this analogy crystallised that an objective is all about a specific thing you want to achieve and strategy is how you get there. Most importantly – objectives are fixed, but a good plan always has multiple strategy options. If flights are unavailable in your budget – a fabulous holiday can also start with a great road trip.
Most commercial organisations share common types of objectives around profitability and growth, stated over 5 – 10 years. But identifying and selecting the strategies to achieve that growth is unique for every organisation and should reflect its values, culture and true differentiators.
Strategies are usually the things we focus on getting done every day. They filter down the organisation and become the to-do list. That’s why it is so easy to for the strategy to get confused with the objective. You get bogged down in the weeds of doing – and forget ‘why’ it’s being done.
The biggest danger of confusing a strategy with the objective is that you stop checking whether you’re still following the right one. Your customers are growing and evolving every day and it’s critical that your strategy remains relevant. What may have been successful in the past will not always be so in the future. Remembering that strategies are flexible gives permission to question them and change them as needed.
Strategies should be continually evaluated to ensure they remain the best option given your changing environment. There are multiple routes to market, multiple customer segments, multiple pricing models and multiple customer pain points. Take a step back, re-look at your objectives and ask yourself critical questions about whether the route you are currently on is still the best way to get to your destination.
“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage” —Jack Welch
