I've done more than a couple blog posts on this question and today calls for yet one more spin: How many distinctions do we need for "that which we intend to achieve?" We have: Strategies, objectives, goals, tactics, targets, milestones, metrics and I have yet to see any group of professionals have the same distinct definitions for each. The confusion wastes millions of hours of corporate time annually around the world, maybe more.
My suggestion today is simple. Agreements. I like calling any of them agreements. Of course we put target dates on any of them which takes care of the sequential relationships between and among them. Simple is an asset.
