The Devil is in the Details

Early in my career in medical diagnostics, a senior leader in the company listened to an idea I had to promote our product. At the close of the brief discussion, he said: “The devil is in the details.”

At first, I thought he was dismissive (and he might have been since I was a newbie at the company and in the industry), but as my career progressed, I realized the details matter and, more importantly, need to match the vision or overall objective for the business.

Example:   A company created a very “successful” video news release that surpassed all expectations regarding national pick-up. Good, right? WRONG. The objective was to raise awareness and spur revenue. The problem was there were few retail locations online or in brick-and-mortar. RESULT: Good tactic but implemented way too soon.

The struggle we sometimes have between having a strategic vision and deploying that said vision through tactics causes friction. The truth is both are critical.

·         A vision without a strong tactical plan is like a ship without a rudder—it may have direction and purpose, but it lacks the means to navigate and reach its destination effectively. Pipedreams.

·         A tactical plan without a vision is like a journey without a destination, lacking purpose and direction. Lots of activity, no progress (Credit John Wooden)

So, indeed, the devil is in the details. The first hurdle is to ensure that both vision and tactic align so that we can invest with greater confidence that we will meet our goals.

 

Need a new perspective? We offer offer several ways to get started. Visit us at www.jumpstartsandiego.com/services to see how we can assess and help your company access proven strategies and tactics that large companies implement – reasonably and efficiently.

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