In the words of the ancient Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu - way back in the sixth century BC, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory; tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat".

Make sure that your business isn't one of those that has all the key components in place but lacks the integrated plan to reach its goals.

Here are a few rhetorical questions for you:

(1) How many companies expect their employees to think about the corporate strategy each morning, before they start work?

(2) How many employees believe they are implementing their company strategy when they go about their job of work?

(3) How well are your sales, marketing and operational objectives aligned with your fiscal plans?

Given the direction of this questioning and the inevitable admission that all organisations with a strategy should be implementing it at every level of their organisation, why is it that people still think that 'strategy' is such a big word and that only important people with loads of responsibility should be man enough to handle its implications and its management?

Inevitably, unless the responsibility of determining and implementing strategy is shared, the initiative is likely to fail. Too often it is not shared and that is why too many people think that strategy is about dusty reports on high shelves that are only read by the Board. Responsibility starts and ends with the Board, but if they want to preside over a buzzing, successful enterprise, then everyone must do their bit.