Strategist or Tactician – Which Are You?

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Have you ever tried to determine if you were a strategist or a tactician? It’s been estimated that approximately 10 to 20% of the total management population is strategic and about 80-90% of it is tactical! Just a tad lopsided, don’t you think?

Probably should define the two before moving on. A strategist is “a person who is skilled at planning things” while a tactician is “someone who uses a carefully planned strategy to achieve a specific end.” In even simpler terms, the strategist sees the “big picture” while the tactician handles the “nuts and bolts.” Apparently, there are a lot less big-picture folks than the details crew.

Have you figured out who you are yet? I will say that most Program Directors are excellent tacticians adeptly carrying out a station’s designed plan but if you desire to grow as a programmer and/or manager, it is important to learn AND understand how to strategize. You may not be the best at it but building an understanding is important for career growth. If you can’t see how you want the listeners to see your station, it will be difficult to create any creative station branding/positioning moving forward.

One has to wonder if it is even possible to think like a strategist and a tactician considering those stats noted above. I do think there are several ways to possibly get to that point.

1. Develop BOTH mindsets.

Read up on both. You can practice strategizing by setting a long-term station goal, analyzing the different path possibilities, and then, creating some actionable steps. From there, work with your GM/Regional Boss to determine your station’s core values – what the station means to the listener beyond slogans. The station’s big picture.

Work on your tactical skills by developing those steps into a full-blown, detailed plan as to how you will achieve the goal. Turn those core values into a branding plan for the station through a consistent on-air, online, and in-the-market message.

2. Learn from Experience

Look at your past successes and failures. When were poor tactics a factor in the derailment or adjustment of a strategy? Were you ever so focused on your tactics that you missed the big picture?

This goes back to the example of not properly branding your station based on what it stands for. If you have not determined what the station means to the listener, you will, most likely, get bogged down in empty slogans (Today’s Hottest Hits, #1 for New Country) and possibly lose precious ground to your competitor.

3. Collaborate

As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, surround yourself with a staff who complements your strengths. If you are more of a “big picture” person, you’ll need some detail-oriented folks on your staff to get the daily job done. Having too many strategists opens you up for a lot of big plans but no action and having too many tacticians puts you in the possible position of not seeing the forest for the trees. Missing out on possible market opportunities.

In a perfect world at your station, you would have a talented group of strategists (most likely the management team) determining the station’s overall personality and creating steps to get there which then hands off to a talented team of tacticians (air staff, promotions, etc) to create a programming plan that communicates that personality in every way.

Being a strategist or a tactician is equally important. One cannot exist without the other. As programmers, our job is to really bridge the gap between the two for our staff regardless of where we fall as individuals.

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