The other definition of strategy

The explicit definition of strategy that I shared earlier is brittle. Sure, it applies to most of my use cases, but definitions like this will eventually break if you apply them to enough situations. You shape them to meet your needs.

But connotative definitions are hard to control.

The connotation of strategy is basically something like “smart“.  It’s not that you can always interchange the two words, but there’s a strong association.

• Strategy consulting = giving smart advice
• Strategic planning = making a smart plan
• Strategic hiring = being smart about hiring
• Strategic investments = making smart investments
• Strategic planning software = smart planning software

This is why it’s dangerous to rely too much on the word – firstly, it’s over-used. Secondly, it basically amounts to you claiming to be smarter, or have smarter software, or a smarter approach. Or whatever.

That can come off as boastful, even glob, and it fails to compensates for not providing specific reasons why your solution will be worth more than it costs.

Ironically then, using the word that connotes smart might not be that smart.

On the other hand, if you can offer specific narratives, and at least hold an explicit, meaningful definition of what strategy/strategic means in your use case, inserting it into your messaging can help you sell.