Wednesday Word of the Week: 'Strategic'

In a new, hopefully-regular-but-we’ll-see feature, at the suggestion of a member of the Arts Council North East team, I bring you the inaugural Arts Counselling Wednesday Word of the Week.

‘Strategic’ - often used to mean:
1. Really, really big and expensive
2. Really, really, really important and absolutely not to be rejected under any circumstances
3. A way of stopping doing things you've changed your mind about
4. Bound up with the organisation’s or your own sense of self
5. Not something that should be expected to lead to actual action in the real world because it’s more a kind of thinking and mindset
6. The kind of work you do when you get too exhausted or senior to do practical work, leading to others doing all the practical work and wishing they too could be strategic.

My preferred dictionary meaning: Important or essential in relation to a plan of action.

Thing to note: essential in relation to a plan of action. Test questions before you use the word include:
Have I got a plan I can describe in real terms?
Does it involve action I can point to?
Is the thing I'm talking about really essential to it?

Click here for a reminder in cartoon format from Savage Chicken's Excellence in Management on-line training course.