The Difference Between a Strategy and a List of Goals

Goals such as growing revenue, improving customer experience and expanding internationally describe desired outcomes. They do not explain how the company will win or what it will stop doing.

Strategy requires choices about customers, value proposition, capabilities and trade-offs. Execution translates those choices into budgets, responsibilities and measures. A strategy is useful when it helps people make difficult decisions consistently and clarifies what the organisation pursues and declines.

Why it matters: Goals such as growing revenue, improving customer experience and expanding internationally describe desired outcomes. They do not explain how the company will win or what it will stop doing.