One of my favorite board games is
Stratego. For those not familiar, this is a game that is similar to chess, except in
Stratego you don’t know the identity of your opponent’s pieces. The goal in
Stratego is to capture your opponent’s flag, and victory requires (according to
Wikipedia) “collecting information, planning, and strategic thinking.”
My little brother was never able to beat me in
Stratego, with the exception of a few parent-mandated gimmes. Our games usually ended with the board and game pieces thrown across the room. Why was he never able to beat me?*
Because he had a
plan, but I had a
strategy.
It is important to understand the distinction between these two words. According to
dictionary.com, strategy is the “utilization of all available forces, through large-scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security or victory.” Planning, on the other hand, is “a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc.” In
Stratego, having a strategy meant that I aligned my pieces with several intermediate goals in mind, the accomplishment of which would lead to ultimate victory. Someone who approached the game armed only with a short-term plan, i.e. thinking only in terms of turn-to-turn movements, would not stand a chance.
At Greystone, we frequently come across hospitals and health systems that claim to have a social media strategy, when in effect what they really have is merely a plan. How can you tell the difference? Here are some good questions to ask, as discussed in our recent OpenSpace conference:
1) Does your approach to social media incorporate tactics for all employees, not just those in your department?
2) Are you able to describe how you will use existing and emerging tools to accomplish the key goals you have set?
3) Are the goals and benchmarks you have set in line with key objectives of your organization?
4) Is your outlook for social media long-term in nature, ideally covering a period of at least one year?
5) Does your plan include a process to identify gaps between your organization’s needs and current capabilities, and how you will develop tools and resources to cover them?
When it comes to social media, planning is crucial, but it is not sufficient. To create a successful strategy, you must take things a step further. Start by setting measurable goals that align with corporate objectives. Then create a series of tactical plans for all your tools and resources that will help you accomplish these goals, and finish by establishing processes and procedures to identify new or missed opportunities. By following these steps, you are setting yourself up for success and creating a comprehensive social media strategy. Unless, of course, someone comes along and throws the board across the room.
*There are now several
Stratego or
Stratego-inspired apps available on iTunes, so an online rematch may be in order!
