A strategic

plan is a high-level overview of the entire business, its vision, objectives, and value. This plan is the foundational basis of the organization and will dictate decisions in the long-term. The scope of the plan can be two, three, five, or even ten years.

Managers at every level will turn to the strategic plan to guide their decisions. It will also influence the culture within an organization and how it interacts with customers and the media. Thus, the strategic plan must be forward looking, robust but flexible, with a keen focus on accommodating future growth

The tactical plan

describes the tactics the organization plans to use to achieve the ambitions outlined in the strategic plan. It is a short range (i.e. with a scope of less than one year), low-level document that breaks down the broader mission statements into smaller, actionable chunks. If the strategic plan is a response to "What?", the tactical plan responds to "How?".

Creating tactical plans is usually handled by mid-level managers.

The tactical plan is a very flexible document; it can hold anything and everything required to achieve the organization's goals. That said, there are some components shared by most tactical plans:

The operational plan

Describes the day to day running of the company. The operational plan charts out a roadmap to achieve the tactical goals within a realistic timeframe.

This plan is highly specific with an emphasis on short-term objectives. "Increase sales to 150 units/day", or "hire 50 new employees" are both examples of operational plan objectives.

Creating the operational plan is the responsibility of low-level managers and supervisors.