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Vision, Strategy, and Tactics
in Everyday Life

How to Make What You Do Serve Who You Are

It's a common problem: How do I keep my eye on the ball in the face of 100 day to day distractions? How do I focus on what's important, rather than what's urgent?

The answer: A rational approach to tie vision, strategy, and tactics together.

Vision

Definition: A simple statement of what matters most to you — who you are, or who you really want to become. Your "theme song."

• An easy, daily reminder of what matters
• Your yardstick: Easy way to immediately gauge the value of what you are doing right now
• An easy way to decide what to do in each moment
• Must be short, simple, easy to remember

Examples

In 2007, I am a man who:

• Educates and guides young people, or
• Create beautiful things people want to use, or
• Promotes and supports the health and growth of my family, or
• Is successful, balanced, peaceful, and full of life.

How to Formulate Your Vision and Put it Into Words

People tend to be paralyzed when they try to form a vision because they think it's got to be huge and grand, permanent, and "right." Not so!

• Your vision can — and will — evolve!
• Best way to find out what your vision really is: Make your best guess. Then start executing. What you really do or don't do will tell you what you really care about.
• Discipline is hugely helpful. Do something that serves your vision every week (or every day). In a short time, this practice will tell you whether the vision is working for you and will tell you what to change.
• Hint: After you work on it, ask the men on your team to tell you what they think your vision is!

Strategy

Definition: A few categories of tactics that serve your vision.

• Generally 3-8 strategies
• Seldom change (maybe one change a year)
• High-level. Not defined by specific goals. (Example: "Better health" might be a strategy; "lose 10 pounds by birthday" would be a tactic.)
• Your tactics should serve your strategies; your strategies serve your vision.

Examples

• Career
• Family, Relationships
• Health
• Finances
• Spiritual

How to Assess and Manage Your Strategies

• Post your strategies, along with your vision, somewhere you see it often.
• Revisit and edit them at a specified time (e.g. twice a year).
• Review them with your team periodically. Great for the man, and for the team!

Tactics

Definition: Tasks and goals you can actually do.

• Generally measurable and definable by goals.
• Generally include deadlines.
• Each tactic should serve your strategies.
• You should have few strategies, but may have dozens of tactics.
• Strategies tend to be static; tactics change often.

Examples

• Walk dog daily
• Write a chapter of my children's book each week
• Take two vacations a year.
• Update my resume this month.
• Have sex (with a partner) twice a week.

How to Manage Tactics

• Most important is to develop a discipline around what deserves your attention. You should always be thinking about how the tactic does or does not serve your vision and whether it serves a strategy.
• That does not mean you should never work on tactics that don't serve — but be aware.
• There are 1000 time and task management books, methods, and devices. It's like exercise: You need to find out which one works for you. The best system is one you actually use.
• Review your tactics when you review your strategies and assess how well they serve.
• Monitor your performance on your tactical items often – at least weekly seems to work for many men.
• Use a coach or your Team for support – some teams do personal goals check-ins on a regular basis. If your whole team is not up for this, find one other committed man on your team who will "buddy up" with you.

— © Moe Rubenzahl, 2007