It is useful to revisit the foundational concepts of skills, strategies, and tactics as these apply to our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
Throughout this article series, the concepts related to the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance have been described in detail. There has been significant emphasis on the implementation of complementary psychological skills and body-based practices. In this pursuit, the utilization of skills, strategies, and tactics have been described. A previous article discussed the distinction between strategies and tactics. It is useful to revisit the overall framework of the concepts of skills, strategies, and tactics. This is particularly the case given the integral role these concepts play within the overall framework.
It is important to recognize that the concepts of skills, strategies, and tactics are equally important within our pursuit of health and wellbeing, as they are within sustainable high performance. Ultimately, it is these elements that provide the inputs which we focus upon and utilize in order to increase the likelihood that we are able to pursue our desired outputs.
At the outset of this article, it is useful to further define each of these elements. Skills relate to specific types of practices which we implement in order to develop our capacity and capability to perform and execute an activity in an attempt to leverage our biology. This includes psychological factors as well as body-based considerations. As discussed in past articles, strategies and tactics are very related yet distinct. Strategies emphasize routines and practices which we implement. This is done on a regular or semiregular basis irrespective of our biological state at the time. As such, this specifically refers to routines with which we regularly engage. Tactics, on the other hand, refer to the implementation of specific practices which we utilize in a given moment in order to bring about specific shifts in our biological state. Typically, this is done in order to better match our biological state to that which we would prefer given the task at hand in the given moment.
The above definitions serve to emphasize the interrelated nature of skills, strategies, and tactics. Ultimately, by developing the necessary skills we can then ideally develop and train our capabilities through various strategies. We are then able to further leverage our biology in the pursuit of our desired outputs through the utilization of the appropriate tactics. It is evident that similar skills can be utilized as either strategies or tactics, depending upon the nature and purpose of their implementation.
To further illustrate the distinction between strategies and tactics, further discussion of the intention of each is useful. Strategies are specifically designed, developed, and implemented in order to increase the strength of anchored and grounded states as well as improve nervous system flexibility. Tactics, while often times using similar skills as strategies, are specifically utilized when we identify that our biological state is not where we would ideally like it to be or optimally conducive to the given situation. In such a scenario, we utilize tactics to shift our biological state to that which we determine to be more useful to the current situation.
While it is useful to explore the distinction between strategies and tactics, it is also essential to recognize that ultimately both are necessary and required in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. While we can no doubt improve the likelihood of achieving our desired outputs through the development of either strategies or tactics, it is inevitable that in order to optimally pursue our desired outputs both strategies and tactics are required.
Strategies are necessary in order to strengthen our anchored and grounded states and improve nervous system flexibility. Combined, these attributes serve to reduce the likelihood of shifts in our biological state away from anchored and grounded states. This is particularly the case in response to equivocal cues along the internal, external, relational pathways. As has been discussed throughout this article series, maintaining anchored and grounded states is necessary for the pursuit of health and wellbeing, and also in order to fully pursue sustainable high performance. As such, while we recognize that there will be inevitable shifts into protective and defensive states, it is important to maintain our biological state within anchored and grounded states to the greatest degree possible. Strategies are essential in this regard as the regular routines lead to strengthening of our nervous system balance.
While much of the emphasis of this article series with respect to our strategies has focused upon the development of psychological skills and body-based practices, it is also important to recognize the contribution of identifying, developing, and, when needed, evolving our underlying purpose, philosophy, and frameworks. Past articles have further discussed the important considerations of purpose and philosophy. Ultimately these factors serve to provide a map or guiding light for how we would like to show up in the situations we encounter. The frameworks we design and utilize further support and contribute to this guiding light provided by our purpose and philosophy. The guidance and direction provided by these elements is essential in order to be able to become aligned with that which is of most importance to us. Within a team or group setting, this is particularly important as it helps to ensure that all members of the team are on the same page and aligned in the same direction. Without such commonalities across the members of the team or group, it is far less likely that they will be successful in being the best version of themselves on both an individual level and, especially, as a team.
Tactics are an essential consideration in order to manage the specific situations and experiences we will invariably encounter. Across the internal, external, and relational pathways there will be inevitable cues that we will experience that will lead to shifts in our biological state. This can similarly impact our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance to varying degrees. The tactics we utilize are dependent upon the skills we have developed in advance of experiencing these situations. In order to leverage our biology and shift back to the desired biological states, the implementation of tactics is necessary. Without developing the capacity to effectively utilize tactics, we will have difficulty shifting our biology in appropriate ways in response to the situations we encounter. This will have significant impact on our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
To further illustrate the concepts described above, applying the example from the past article on imposter syndrome can be useful. The previous example discussed the nature of imposter syndrome and particularly emphasized how psychological skills need to be utilized in a complementary fashion with body-based practices in order to manage the impact of impostor syndrome. From the consideration of the framework of strategies and tactics, this recognition can be further understood.
The strategies which we develop and utilize on a regular or semi regular basis develop the necessary inputs to reduce the frequency of the inner dialogue typical of imposter syndrome. While similar skills may be utilized, in particular the body-based practices, we utilize tactics in order to manage situations in which we recognize the inner dialogue of imposter syndrome emerging. As discussed in the past article, no matter how strong our strategies and psychological skills may be, in the pursuit of sustainable high performance it is inevitable that at times we will experience imposter syndrome. In such circumstances, it is the utilization of body-based tactics which is necessary in order to manage the inner dialogue and shift back into anchored and grounded states which will be inherently associated with a reduction in the manifestations of imposter syndrome.
As can be understood from the above discussion, the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance is based upon a framework of utilizing strategies and tactics which in turn are based upon developing psychological skills as well as body-based skills. If we are to optimally pursue the outputs of interest in our lives, the effective and complementary integration of skills, strategies, and tactics is needed.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.