{"id":104,"date":"2011-03-17T01:01:49","date_gmt":"2011-03-17T05:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facilitativeleadership.wordpress.com\/?p=104"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:56:13","slug":"strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"“\u2018The Strategy\u2019 vs. \u2018Strategies\u2019 and \u2018Strategic Plans\u2019: A Comparative Analysis”"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The term ‘strategy,’ much like ‘quality,’ is often overused and should be applied with precision. ‘The strategy’ should only be used unambiguously when it reflects a clearly defined and singular perspective.”<\/h2>\n
\"Strategy\"<\/a>

The Strategy<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

It’s important to carefully differentiate between the terms “the strategy,” “a strategy” (or “the strategies”), and “a strategic plan.” For a facilitator attuned to rhetorical precision, each of these terms carries distinct meanings. However, many people tend to use them interchangeably, often leading to confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what distinguishes a strategic plan from a department plan, a product vision, a project plan, or a team plan? The primary difference lies in their scope. At its core, a “plan” can be succinctly defined with three words (or preferably five): “who does what” (by when). These components of every plan apply throughout every level of an organization (see Holarchy<\/em><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

When planning, every group and individual need answers to the questions explained in our \u201cStrategic Planning Agenda<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n