Strategic planning: terms of engagement

On his Duets blog, brand attorney Stephen Baird gives a guest spot to strategist Jack Cuffari, who elaborates on the often-misunderstood definitions of planning terms. It's quite an extensive primer, and here is the comment I offered to it:

Strategic planning is both the basis of my communications practice and the siren's call that threatens to crash good ideas on the rocks of abstraction. Accordingly, I try to reduce the operative terminology to its most actionable essence. The main thing is the components of planning should fit clearly into a delivery system.

• Vision: What is the big-picture opportunity and how will it make an impact?
• Mission: Defines how you intend to realize the vision.
• Goal: Defines success for a mission-driven initiative.
• Objectives: The results necessary to achieve your goal.
• Strategy: The game plan for executing a mission and the rigorous justification for trying. Defines cost-benefit of the goals, objectives, tactics.
• Tactics: Specific approaches/techniques for meeting objectives and thus fulfilling the strategy.