What is the difference between strategic, operational, and tactical planning?

• A. All are the same.
• B. Strategic guides long-term aims; operational links strategic to function; tactical deals with specific actions and tasks.
• C. Tactical planning is for long-term.
• D. Operational planning ignores strategy.

Answer: (B)

Planning operates at different levels to move an organization from broad direction to concrete action. Strategic planning sets the long-range aims and overall direction, establishing what success looks like over years. Operational planning translates those strategic aims into how the organization will function—coordinating programs, processes, and resources to support the strategy. Tactical planning then focuses on the here-and-now actions and tasks that units or teams carry out in the near term to drive those broader goals forward.

This framing fits best because it captures the time horizons and how the levels connect: strategic defines the destination, operational organizes how the organization will function to reach it, and tactical executes specific steps to implement the plan. The other options miss this structure: claiming all are the same ignores the distinct scopes; saying tactical is long-term confuses its near-term focus; and suggesting operational planning ignores strategy contradicts how operational plans are developed to enable strategic objectives.