What is Strategy?

The word "strategy" originates from the Greek term word "strategia" meaning "generalship" (Nickols). For centuries, the word strategy has been used to describe the ways armies achieve military and political goals. More recently, in the business world, strategy is used to describe the way companies plan to market and sell their products.

At first glance, this definition may not seem very relevant in the context of the non-formal youth sector. In fact, the idea of armies and conditions for fighting seems to contradict the goals of non-formal youth work. But look again...

• Strategy involves management - the definition and implementation of a process
• Strategy requires generalship - a person or persons to lead that process
• Strategy is about imposing conditions preferred by oneself - steering the process in the direction you want to go instead of letting the process steer you
• Strategy is an art - it requires time and careful consideration. Luckily, this is an art which can be learned.

Obviously, these points are all highly relevant to non-formal youth work. We know that we need management, leadership and a course to steer by. We know how easy it is to lose control and to let situations control us rather than the other way around. A clear strategy can help provide what we need and prevent problems from cropping up.

Now hopefully your situation is not so desperate as to require troops, ships and aircraft but even if it is, keep reading. The next sections will provide advice which can help bring some order into the chaos and make your situation look less like a battlefield.

^^ top ^^

A working definition of strategy

A strategy is a statement of intent which outlines where you are today, indicates where you want to go tomorrow, and defines the steps you will take to get there.

Strategy is difficult to define. Different books dealing with strategy often have their own unique definition and some don't even bother trying to define it at all. No wonder we feel so intimidated and confused!
If we are going to make the term "strategy" more user-friendly, we need to get away from complicated definitions and academic mumbo-jumbo. Strategy can be broadly conceived as a course of action for achieving a purpose (Andrews). To put it as simply as possible:

That doesn't sound so bad, does it? In fact, we make mini-strategies in our heads throughout the day without even knowing it. If you have ever painted your house, organised a big party, or driven your car through an unknown city, you almost certainly had to think strategically.

Where am I now?
Where do I want to go?
How will I get there?

These three key questions form the basis of almost any kind of strategy-making.
It is interesting to note that this description defines strategy as a "statement of intent". What precisely does that mean? Some people avoid getting involved with strategy-making because they are afraid that the final result will be an all-encompassing mega-plan which tries to control every single aspect of their work and their organisation. But this is not what strategy is all about.

A "statement of intent" is a declaration of where you intend to go and how you intend to get there. A bad strategy tries to define every single action that will be taken by every single person in the organisation for the next five years. You can already tell that this kind of approach probably won't get far. A good strategy describes the general intention and uses that as the platform for taking action. Bear in mind that "intent" can change over time. No one knows what the future might bring. Circumstances change and when they do you might need to re-define your intent, sometimes radically. This is a normal part of strategy development.

^^ top ^^

Is making a strategy the same as project planning?

The three key questions listed above can be applied in almost any situation, whether you are planning a wedding or developing an international aid programme for the United Nations. However, there is a subtle difference between making a strategy and planning a project (even a large-scale one):

• When you plan a project, the first step involves figuring out where you want to go and how you are going to get there.
• When you develop a strategy, the process is essentially the same but the range is very different. Strategies are generally designed for a longer period, sometimes over several years. As a result, they usually have a much broader scope (for instance a strategy may include many large-scale projects at once). Compared to a project, a strategy often involves many more people (an entire institution vs. an individual project team).

Now don't let these differences of scale intimidate you. Remember, the fundamental elements of strategy development are really no different from ordinary project planning.

^^ top ^^