Strategy and tactics are often confused, but strategy is the thinking aspect of planning while tactics are the actions that follow. Logistics is also important in military operations. Playing Risk® illustrates the differences between strategy and tactics, with a plan being crucial for success.
The word strategy comes from the Greek word strategos which translates to the art of the general. This is often confused with tactic, from the Greek taktike. Taktike translates as organizing army. In modern usage, strategy and tactics could refer not just to warfare, but to a variety of business practices.
In essence, strategy is the thinking aspect of planning a change, organizing something, or planning a war. It describes the goals that need to be achieved and the ideas for achieving them. Strategy can be composed of complex multi-layered plans to achieve goals and can take into account tactics.
Tactics are the meat and bread of strategy. They are the aspect of “doing” that follows design. Tactics specifically refers to action. In the strategic phase of a plan, thinkers decide how to achieve their goals. In other words, they think about how people will act, that is, about tactics. They decide on what methods will be employed to carry out the plan.
The tactics themselves are the things that get the job done. Strategies can encompass numerous methods, with many people involved in trying to achieve an overall goal. While strategy tends to involve the top of an organization, tactics tend to involve everyone in the organization.
Another term related to these in military operations is logistics. Logistics refers to how an army will be supported so it can employ tactics. Logistics is part of the plan, for example, when thinking about providing a military force with weapons, food and shelter.
Playing Risk® is a great way to illustrate the differences between strategies and tactics. When starting the game for the first time, cards are dealt which assign the countries owned by each player. Players then place military units in each of their countries. Having a plan is an important part of starting a game. You have to look at where to place extra military pieces to strengthen your base of operations for defense, and also to conquer the world as a result.
When a player forms a plan like “First I will take over South America” then methods come into play. Each move will be a targeted attack on other players occupying territory in South America. How pieces are moved and decisions to attack or rearrange are methods of carrying out one’s ultimate strategy, which is to conquer the world and win the game. While luck through dice rolls plays a role in the success of one’s tactics, good strategists often trump risk. If you don’t form a viable plan early in the game, you should be very lucky to win.
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