By Vinnie Romano, chief marketing officer, MySocial.ai
For many years, I’ve seen an increase in the misuse of the word “strategy” and what it means to be “strategic”.
Throughout my career, I’ve had colleagues and peers glamourise the term, yearning to be a part of the strategic thinking for the firm and its clients. It’s a word thrown around in daily business conversations—sometimes with purpose, but far too often recklessly.
Perhaps the reason these longed-after, strategic conversations happen behind closed doors – because you’re not meant to be in the room.
“Strategy” is a term that is, ironically, both overused and misunderstood. And that misunderstanding is dangerous.
When we confuse “strategy” with “plan” or “tactics,” we risk losing sight of what it takes to make informed, impactful decisions.
In an era when artificial intelligence is redefining industries, automating tasks, and even challenging the traditional roles of knowledge workers, this lack of clarity is not just problematic—it’s a liability.
In their book Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, and Roger Martin, former Dean of the Rotman School of Management, define strategy as the act of “making specific choices to win in the marketplace.”
According to this definition then, strategy is not (and should not be) a buzzword or a fuzzy concept; it is a disciplined framework for decision-making and a sequence of decisions/choices needed to be made, alongside a plan, using tactics to get there.
Strategy vs. plan vs. tactics
Here’s where I see things often go wrong – people conflate strategy with planning or tactics (or both), losing sight of their distinct roles.
• A strategy is a sequence of decisions and choices designed to achieve a specific outcome, centred around the “what” and “why” you are looking to accomplish. It’s about understanding the game you’re playing and making the moves necessary to arrive at the desired destination.
• A plan is the blueprint. It starts by identifying where you are now, where you want to go, the targets you need to hit along the way (made visible from the strategy), and how you’ll connect the dots (the tactics).
• Tactics are the specific actions you and your team take to execute the plan and achieve your strategic goals.
Think of it like this: If strategy is the “why” and “what,” the plan is the “where,” and tactics are the “how.” They’re interconnected but distinct, and using the wrong term dilutes the power of all three.
Promotional phrases like these used by “subject matter experts” on LinkedIn only add to the confusion:
“Five strategies you can use to [insert goal here] in 2025.”
“I help you take the necessary steps in achieving [insert goal here] by implementing a list of strategies…”
“Steal my strategies so you can [insert goal here].”
I dare say, you’re selling tactics. And if you’re selling us tactics, that’s OK – just be clear on what you’re selling.
To illustrate further, consider this: Strategy isn’t just about answering questions like, “How do we increase our market share?” It’s about making specific choices, such as, “We will focus on dominating this particular segment of the market because we can serve it better than anyone else.”
It’s not the execution; it’s the insight and intent behind the execution.
So, you cannot sell me strategies without speaking to me first and understanding my “why”. You can however flog me your tactics – but if you call them strategies, the chances of me buying your tactics have significantly decreased.
Who we will become
In a blog entry from Seth Godin, I came across recently, he framed strategy in a particularly insightful way: “Who we will become, who we will be of service to, and who they will help others to become. This is strategy.”
This concept reframes strategy as not just a sequence of business decisions, but as a process of defining identity and purpose. In a world dominated by AI, where algorithms increasingly handle operational tasks, our humanity—our capacity for empathy, vision, and meaningful connection—becomes the cornerstone of true strategic thinking.
Words matter more than ever
As AI continues to advance, we face a profound question: What sets us apart?
Renowned Marketing Leadership author and former CMO and Partner of McKinsey, Thomas Barta and I discussed the topic of “If AI had the answer, what’s your question?” – where when you think about it, is a polite way of reframing “put shit in and get shit out.”
The answer then, lies in our ability to think critically, interpret nuance, and define the words we use with precision. Misunderstanding or misapplying terms like “strategy” is more than an intellectual faux pas—it reflects a lack of rigour and commitment to growth.
And I want us to stop this madness.
The call to clarity
Now is the time to reclaim our words. Let’s stop throwing terms around without understanding their meaning. Strategy, planning, and tactics are not interchangeable—they are interdependent. Understanding these distinctions is the first step toward making choices that truly matter.
In a world where AI challenges our roles and redefines the concept of expertise, clarity isn’t just a virtue; it’s a necessity. So, let’s commit to being precise, intentional, and right—because if we don’t, the machines just might do it better.