Strategy 101

Strategy, a word commonly used among managers, executives, entrepreneurs, business owners and other top level employees of organizations. It is also usually proceeded or followed by other business terms such as strategic plan/planning, business development/Human Resources strategy, etc. However, have you wondered about the word “strategy”, what does it actually mean? Where does it come from? Why can’t we just use terms like plan or proposal or plot? Well, to answer those and many more questions we go back to the words’ origins and one of the first cavitations, the Greeks.



The word Strategy derives from the Greek word “Strategia”, and literally meant office, but not any office, office of general, command and/or generalship.



Why did this word from the ancient time refer to an office?! Well, the word did not refer to just any office; it referred to the general office, the office of the person in command, to the person who had choices to consider and decisions to make. For Example: While the different type of soldiers under the general command where trained on multiple skills, each had a profession from the swordsmen to archers to cavalry yet they only responded to few simple commands, charge, fire, halt, retreat, this also applied to both opposing parties. However, it’s the use of those commands to diverse battalions at different times for various reasons that decided the outcome of the battle, and each battle decided the outcome of the war.



Just like chess, the simplest form of warfare strategy on a black and white isometric board with the same number of pieces and the same abilities on both sides, yet, the outcome is determined by how those pieces are moved, when and for what purpose.



In both Business and in War, the same concept applies with business owner, manager and top executives or Military Admirals, Generals and Commanders since they are given the choices that they can make within their job descriptions, responsibilities and authorities to achieve certain goals and objectives.



Simply said, strategy is the method of planning used to achieve certain goals and objects taken into consideration multiple factors related directly and indirectly to the organization. While different people will define the word strategy differently, everyone agrees that it is a set of analytical and planning skills at the highest level of managerial activity.