Difference between Business action plan and strategy 2020
Action Plan vs Strategy
If you have a vision to achieve a goal, but don’t put it into action, delaying the plan all the time, you are dedicating yourself to daydreaming thinking that you can achieve, but you do nothing to achieve it. On the contrary, there are many who are always ready for action, but who have no vision. They are just wasting their time and the lack of a plan will not get them anywhere. This is where the meaning of a strategy and an action plan is understood. Many people take these two words to be synonymous, while it is clear that they are complementary to each other and, without one or the other person, can never achieve their goal. This article will highlight the differences between a strategy and an action plan and how they both work together to bring a person closer to their goal.
Suppose a football team prepares its strategy against the opponent when a match between the two teams is played and. The strategy is, of course, made with your own strengths and weaknesses in mind, as well as those of the opponent. But the game is played in real time, where an action plan can go wrong, as circumstances or movements may not be as planned. In such a situation, plan B is adopted, which is part of the overall strategy. It is clear, then, that the action plan is part of the overall strategy that needs to be implemented for the strategy to be successful.
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The strategy includes an action plan and the strategy needs to be translated into action using these action plans. Thus, strategy is the goal; action plan is a means to achieve that goal. You cannot reach your goals without implementing an action plan, and conversely, if someone is not aware of your strategy, all of your action can go to waste.
The strategy is made in classrooms by senior management and the action plan is implemented at ground level by employees. The strategy always comes first and the action plan comes later. The strategy can be timeless, while the action plan is time-specific. The strategy is the mental part and the action plan is the physical part of implementing a plan to achieve the goal. It is not that the strategies are sacred cows and cannot be changed halfway. They are dependent on market forces and are as adaptable as the action plan. This is where the concept of plan A, plan B and plan C comes into play.
In short:
• Strategy and action plan are complementary to each other and both are integral to achieving a goal
• Strategies are made as a plan and the action plan is the step by step of how to make that plan.
• Strategy is the mental part of achieving an objective, the action plan is the physical part of achieving an objective.