understanding strategies, tactics and measurement

Understanding Strategies, Tactics and Measurement

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Agenda

• Problems with strategies, tactics, and measurement

• Definitions

• Evaluating strategies, tactics, and measurement

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PROBLEMS WITH STRATEGIES, TACTICS, AND MEASUREMENT

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Problems

• Recognition

• Evaluation

• Relation

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Strategic Gap

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DEFINITIONS

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Projects vs. operations

• Projects are not ongoing

• Projects improve operations

• Operations has metrics, not projects.

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Projects improve operations

Operations

Operations

Projec

t

4%

8%

Strategy + Tactics

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Project components

• Strategy

• Tactics

• Measurement

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Strategy

A strategy is a framework to establish and evaluate tactics with regard to a goal of improving operations.

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Strategic Goals

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Tactics

Tactics use best practices and strategic direction to improve operations.

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Measurement

• Project metrics vs. strategic metrics

• Qualitative vs. quantitative

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

Project ProjectProject

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

Project

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Project ProjectProject

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

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EVALUATING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND MEASUREMENT

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Evaluation—Good Strategy

• Statement of the problem

• Support material

• Statement of the solution

• Tactical project list

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Evaluation—Good Tactics

• Agnostic with respect to goals

• Methodology

• Integration into operations

• Realistic

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Evaluation—Good Measurement

• Quantified

• Simple

• Tied to larger goals

• Trackable in near real-time

• Automatable

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Evaluation—Connectedness

• Overarching goals strategy

• Strategic tactics list tactics

• Strategic goals measurement

• Tactical execution measurement

• Overarching metrics measurement

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CONCLUSION

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Questions• If strategies guide tactics, does this mean that a strategy never (or shouldn’t

change) during the tactical phase?

• Is a robust project management process, tools, etc. required to even begin strategy or tactics?

• What if we’re already in the middle of all this? Is there a way to get “back on track” without starting over?

• Do we need to staff a strategist on tactical projects?

• Were you serious about that project manager remark?

• Strategies influence tactics. But, is there any way that tactics “influence” strategies?

• I already did, or paid for, a strategy that now I realize isn’t helping me. I can’t go back and redo it, so what should I do?

• What if I have a strategic question during tactics that isn’t answered by the strategy?

• Can you really convert any qualitative goal into a quantitative goal?