Strategic vs Operational Plans

Strategic vs Operational Plan
Vincent Elegbeleye
I concur. The right placement of efficiency and effectiveness serves as the key to understanding the differences between strategic and operational plans.

Strategic vs. Operational
Kimyon, Entrepreneur, United States, Member
So the strategic plan lays a foundation for the operational plan to work? They're like cousins or brothers & sisters?

Strategic vs Operational Plans
CEO Business Management Solutions, Consultant, United States, Member
Strategic and operational plans help to balance each other out. Like a marriage between the two. Strategic planning lays the foundation, gives direction while operational planning helps to make it work.

Strategic versus Operational Plan
Olajide Alfred, Kenya, Member
While agreeing with the above stated views, I just wonder if there are any gaps in strategic and operational planning. What would be the role of the tactical level in the organisation? Would it be safe to state that the activities at that level are also part of operational planning? Or as precursor?

Plan Alteration to Meet Environment Changes
Jagdish B Acharya, Consultant, India, Premium Member
Considering the overall environment, strategic and operational plans are made. However environment is not constant and so some adjustments have got to made as raised by Olajide.
Tactical changes are done first in operational plans so that strategical plans are met. Later for bigger environment changes even strategical plans have to be changed.

Strategic versus Operational Plans
VENKATESH, Manager, India, Member
A strategic plan sets the direction of a business. An operational plan executes the strategic plan in a way consistent with it.

Direction and Progress
Jagdish B Acharya, Consultant, India, Premium Member
@Venkatesh: you very aptly described strategic plans as directional plans. Operational plans set and measure progress along the strategic plans.

Linking Strategic, Operational and Tactical Plans
John Griffin, Professor, United States, Member
STRATEGIC PLANS provide the vision (long term).
OPERATIONAL PLANS link a sequence of actions and prioritizes resources in every department to work towards a collective goal and creates an environment to nest and focus initiative at the daily management level.
TACTICAL ACTIONS are those actions taken on a daily (short term) basis, managed by front line supervisors and guided by management to hit benchmarks and goals, working towards operational objectives to achieve strategic vision.