Balancing the Tactical and Strategic: A Manager's Blueprint for Success

Introduction

Management is a dual craft. It requires a delicate balance between tactical execution and strategic foresight. Tactical managers ensure the gears turn smoothly day to day, while strategic leaders guide those efforts toward a meaningful destination. As Simon Sinek aptly puts it, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”

This Management Prerequisites Checklist, produced by Clair Hughes Johnson, provides a detailed playbook for thriving as both a tactical manager and strategic leader.

Tactical Mastery: Building Relationships and Driving Results

The checklist emphasizes the foundational aspects of managing individuals and teams effectively:

1. Weekly or Biweekly 1:1s: Consistent touchpoints provide clarity and foster open communication. Rescheduling these sessions should be rare, as their consistency is vital for building trust and addressing blockers in real time.
2. Structured Agendas for 1:1s: Agendas aren’t just a formality; they enable focus, shared ownership, and actionable outcomes. A well-prepared 1:1 allows both parties to maximize time and effort.
3. Quarterly Goals: Goals are not only metrics but milestones in building an individual’s career journey. Aligning on these quarterly ensures focus and adaptability.
4. Bidirectional Feedback: Regular feedback sessions allow for growth on both sides of the table. Feedback fosters trust and helps your reports feel seen and valued.

As Sinek says, "Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion." These tactical actions ensure your team remains connected to their work and to you as their leader.

Strategic Leadership: Elevating Teams and Divisions

While tactics drive immediate impact, strategic leadership creates long-term alignment. Here are some strategic practices to adopt:

1. Job Descriptions and Rubrics: Clear definitions ensure alignment across hiring and performance. When roles and expectations are unambiguous, employees can focus on excelling.
2. Job Ladders and Levels: Transparency in growth opportunities creates trust and motivation. Employees should see their path forward and understand how to navigate it.
3. Compensation Philosophy: Clarity around pay and rewards builds fairness and reduces turnover. Strategic leaders prioritize these frameworks to enhance trust in organizational equity.

Strategic leaders also understand that time spent with their teams isn’t just about work but alignment. As the checklist advises, "effective leaders benefit from time together, whether aligning on plans, making decisions, or workshopping challenges."

This aligns with Sinek’s observation that “A leader’s job is not to do the work for others; it’s to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done, and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.”

You: The Manager as a Keystone

For a manager to be effective, they must not only invest in their teams but also in themselves:

• Regular 1:1s with your own manager help you stay aligned with broader company objectives.
• Knowing your job description and role ensures clarity in your leadership.
• Quarterly personal goals reinforce accountability and professional growth.

A tactical manager thrives when their responsibilities are clear, but a strategic leader elevates their team and division by ensuring everyone’s objectives align with the broader mission.

Conclusion

Management isn’t just about meeting deadlines or hitting goals; it’s about creating environments where people thrive. By combining the tactical elements of regular 1:1s, clear expectations, and feedback with strategic practices like transparent job ladders and a well-communicated compensation philosophy, managers can become truly effective leaders.

Simon Sinek reminds us, “Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation.”

In management terms, this means balancing today’s immediate needs with tomorrow’s vision. By following this checklist, we can ensure that our leadership empowers others to not only meet their goals but exceed their own expectations.

Checklist: Management Prerequisites

Legal and Operational Awareness

• You are aware of your legal responsibilities as a manager in the jurisdiction in which you operate.

You and Individual Reports

• Hold regular 1:1s on a weekly or biweekly cadence, and they are rarely rescheduled.
• Create agendas for your 1:1s that include contributions from both sides, notes, and agreed-upon actions.
• Have quarterly goals that you track together.
• Hold bidirectional feedback sessions with your reports every three to six months.
• Hold more formal performance conversations every 3, 6, or 12 months (depending on how rapidly your company is changing). These conversations emphasize both results achieved and how they were achieved.

You and Your Teams

• Hold weekly or biweekly meetings.
• Show up on time for meetings and avoid rescheduling them.
• Benefit from time together, whether aligning on plans, making decisions, or workshopping challenges to aid one another in getting the work done.

You and Your Division

• Have job descriptions and an interview rubric for the roles you’re hiring for.
• Have job ladders and levels that are clearly communicated with employees.
• Have a compensation philosophy and a clear framework for compensation that employees understand.

You

• Understand your own job description and the function of your team.
• Have quarterly goals that you’ve agreed on with your own manager.
• Have 1:1s on a regular cadence with your own manager.
• Can access information from your manager or leaders in your organization that provides regular context on overall company priorities and goals.