Goals vs Strategies vs Tactics

Most new recruits into this industry are taken straight to tactics with little to no consideration as to their goals and a strategy designed around their goals and skill sets. What is the 1st thing that almost all companies tell their newbies? Make your list of everybody you know.

Sending a new recruit out to make their list is taking them straight to Tactics which by itself hasn’t seemed to work to well. There is an unspoken, implied agreement among the parties that if you follow this tactic you will realize that unnamed goal.

The reality is there are many strategies and many tactics. What you will adopt and use will depend on what your goal is and what your skillsets are currently.

So first of all, what is the difference between a goal, a strategy and tactics and why does it matter?

What Is A Goal?

Simply stated, a goal is what you will have, do, be and feel if your efforts are successful. You may think that is simplistic. However if you were to ask any 10 people on your team what their goal is you would be amazed at the blank stares, mumbling and incoherent replies you will get back.

The issue is so few people are clear about what they want to have, do, be and feel. Few have done the WORK and reflection to really understand what they want. Many will have conflicting desires that demand resolution of issues they dread confronting. Most of us have unconscious desires that conflict with want we say we want. Research clearly indicates that an unconscious desire held in the heart will win out over a conflicting desire held in the mind every time.

A simple, easily observed example of this is people that are overweight or out of shape. Do you know anyone who is overweight or out of shape that doesn’t SAY they want to lose weight or be in better shape? So why aren’t they? Because being the way they are serves some hidden goal or outcome they desire in their heart that constantly overrides what they want in their mind. When what is in their heart changes to match what is in their mind…they will lose weight. Of course this does not include those who have medical conditions or who are on pharmaceuticals that often create weight gain.

Years ago I suffered with debilitating migraines. I reached a point where I determined that I would not live that way, nor take drugs, nor curtail my lifestyle. Over several years I developed a method to defeat the migraine attacks that has worked 100% of the time for over 30 years. I wrote an ebook about the method that is described at 7secondmigraine.com.

The point of this little aside is to illustrate a real life example of conflicting desires. One of my best friends suffers from debilitating migraines. She knows full well my story, my success and the ebook. Do you think she has even once asked me how I do it, or asked for a copy of the book? Not even once. Why? Because her migraines serve her. She uses them to make personal time for herself. Sounds a bit nuts I know. But that is a microcosm of what will come across your path when you begin building teams. The issue she will not confront is why her regard for her personal time is so devalued that she cannot say no to requests for her time.

Now I am not saying that everyone who suffers from migraines wants to suffer from migraines. But finding out if a migraine serves an unspoken purpose or goal is very important if you want to stop suffering. This principal carries over into any conflict between what we say we want vs what our heart desire is.

Let’s take another look at our overweight friends and develop this concept of Goals vs Strategy vs Tactics.

If someone has a goal to lose 40 lbs there are a ton, no pun intended, of approaches. So let’s take another look at the goal of losing 40 lbs.

• Person 1 says “I want to lose 40 lbs”. What they don’t say is; “So I can pig out over the holidays”.
• Person 2 says “I want to lose 40 lbs”. What they don’t say is; “So I can be slim and sexy for my cousin’s wedding in 4 months and get a date for the weekend”.
• Person 3 says “I want to lose 40 lbs”. What they don’t say is; “So I can be slim, sexy, and active and live a long and healthy life”.

These are examples of goals that look the same with vastly different ‘whys’ and will involve different strategies and tactics.

Many people who you meet will not be crystal clear what their goal is or why when they become part of your team. If their goal and ‘why’ is not clear what makes you think shoving a simplistic tactic on them as the 1^st thing they do will make them successful?

This is where leadership looms large. You will want to persuade people you bring on board to explore their goals to find out if they are clear on what they want, and if not, help them get clear on their goal, if they want to. When both you and they are clear on their goal and why they want to be involved in network marketing with you, then you can help them with the next step which is Strategy.

What is Strategy?

The most difficult component of the Goal vs Strategy vs Tactic continuum is getting clear on what the goal is and why. When the goal is identified then a Strategy and the subsequent tactics to work out the strategy are considered.

Let’s go back to our overweight friends. A strategy is an overall philosophy or approach toward the goal. In this case there are several that come to mind that will be vastly different for each one of these goals.

1. I will do enough in order to lose 40 lbs.
2. I will do whatever I have to in order to lose 40 lbs.
3. I will master the subject of weight loss and fitness in order to never be overweight again.

Now those are 3 very different approaches/strategies to losing 40 lbs. The thought processes, desires and outcomes inherent in each strategy are very different. At this point is it beginning to become clear why choosing the same tactic to work out these different strategies and goals does not make sense? Well, it doesn’t make any sense in our industry either.

What is a Tactic?

A tactic is what you DO that is supportive of the strategy you have chosen to realize the outcome of your goal.

Can you see that there will be a vast difference between what the person does (tactics) who chose #1 as their strategy vs what the person does (tactics) who chose #3 as their strategy?

If we go back to the strategies we will see several terms that are virtually meaningless yet give the appearance of being clear. In example 1 is the word ‘enough’. In example 2 is the word ‘whatever’. These terms in this context are virtually meaningless. What do they even mean? No one really knows. How many times have you had a recruit state something like that to you?

The only goal and strategy that is in sync is #3. The goal, the why and the strategy are all in sync and will make choosing the tactics easy so that the goal and the why is accomplished.

So how would the tactics differ in each case.

Person 1 might chose.

1. I will find out about every easy, quick loss diet out there.
2. I will find out what the celebrities are doing and try that.
3. I will find the diets that do not require exercise and try that,
4. …and so on.

Person 2 might chose:

1. All of the above plus;
2. I will find a personal trainer;
3. I will walk around the block every day;
4. If I feel like it I might skip eating fast food several times a week.
5. I will see if I can find some articles on weight loss;
6. I will think about becoming a vegetarian.
7. I will stop drinking beer for two weeks to see if that helps.

Person 3 might chose:

1. I will learn how to cook healthy meals.
2. I will learn what food additives cause weight gain;
3. I will interview several personal trainers and chose one to work with that will teach me how to eventually train myself.
4. I will consider that I may have to limit the amount of time I spend with some of my friends.
5. I will daily review my goals, check my strategy and evaluate my tactics to continue to move toward the outcomes that form my ‘why’;
6. I will cut back on watching TV to 1 sporting event a week.
7. I will seek out new friends that are healthy and fit.
8. I will join an athletic group that plays a sport a like.
9. I will spend an hour a day researching how the body works and what foods are the healthiest for my body type and lifestyle.

Now of all those scenarios laid out, which one do you think will actually accomplish their goal?

Now translate that to network marketing. We tend to delude ourselves into believing and acting like everyone who comes on board is like person #3 in the examples above. This is pure nonsense. I firmly believe that everyone can choose to become like person #3 if they desire to, have the right leadership and assistance.

Can you see how foolish and exhausting it would be to act as if every person is #3 when probably 1 in twenty comes ready equipped like #3.

Would you spend more time with someone who wants to accomplish $10,000 a month in personal earnings vs someone who just want to make sure they earn enough to keep the cable turned on? Don’t you think it might be worth your while to develop the skills to find out what your team member wants out of the deal, what their skill sets are and act accordingly before you guide them toward tactics?

Do you think a greater percentage of novices would enjoy success and stay with the industry if someone helped them get clear on what they want? There is no wrong ‘want’. The issue is; are you going to help them figure what they want and the best way to get it? Don’t you at least owe them that?

While you are here enter your name & email in the form at the upper right of the blog for my free materials; The Tactic and Strategy Mind Map, The Competency Continuum and my review; What Most Networkers Never Learn.