Plan: A plan cannot be both an understanding and a visual diagram -- they are
not the same. I would say that a plan is a set of actionable processes BASED ON
an understanding or design and that there can be high-level and lower-level
(more detailed) plans, as in an outline. Thus a blueprint for a building
embodies design and shows how the various pieces must fit, but does not specify
who does what and in what order. There is a more detailed operational PERT
chart that illustrates the building process.
Strategy: For some, strategy is a competitive battle for customers or race to
be first to market; for some, it is a definition of identity, difference, or
niche (what business are we in); and for some, it is the synthesis or fitting
together of elements such as resources, structure, rewards, and systems to
support a plan. The proposed definition, "A strategy is a design or explanation
of how a person or organization intends to approach the achievement of desired
situation." does not include a view of strategy as behavior (actions speak
louder than intentions), process, and multi-level, as with plans and outlines.
Strategic: Strategic is always what is important to the survival of the
organization and its future business. This may not be sufficient, but it is
necessary. If the failure of a project will not cause an organization's
ultimate demise, it isn't strategic. Are there other necessary but not
sufficient elements of "strategic"?
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Prof. John L. Naman naman+@pitt.edu