Tactical and strategic

Tactical / strategic is one of the 15 Reinin dichotomies.

Tactical and strategic types

• The tactical IM types are : ILE, ESE, LSI, IEI, ILI, ESI, LSE, and IEE.
• The strategical IM types are : SEI, LII, EIE, SLE, SEE, LIE, EII, and SLI.
• Using the four-letter code: tactical types are NP or SJ, strategical types are NJ or SP.

ILE

SEI

ESE

LII

EIE

LSI

SLE

IEI

SEE

ILI

LIE

ESI

LSE

EII

IEE

SLI

Tactical

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Strategic

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Typical characteristics

Tactics

1. Focus on methods, and manipulate them, with goals unsettled.
2. Goals are defined by, and modified to fit methods.
3. Prefers to expand options. Doesn't like to have too few of them.

Strategy

1. Focus on goals, and manipulate them, with methods unsettled.
2. Methods are defined by, and modified to fit goals.
3. Prefers to defend goals. Doesn't like to be forced to deviate from them.

Extended characteristics

Taken from 2003 study of Reinin traits.

Tactics

• Tactical types focus their attention on their current situation, on the nearest action, on the actual choices—in other words, they are more oriented at their course, the chain of events, instead of the goal towards which this chain may lead.
• As a rule, they do not "fix" for themselves a single "point" which they want to hit or reach—in other words, a goal. Thus, the direction in which they are moving is liable to change.
• In contrast to Strategic types, they are not inclined to constantly compare their current actions with the desired end state ("goal"). The emerging goals are evaluated in accordance to how well they fit their current route (how well the goal coincides with the direction they are adhering to).
• All possibilities of events occurring now or those that have occurred in the past (that which has occurred or could have occurred) i.e. different scenarios, outcomes, they perceive as equivalent (equally likely to happen and equally likely to have happened).
• They consciously do not set goals or do it very rarely (when pressured by the circumstances). They avoid setting distant (very long-term or global) goals: "Why plan—you still need to live to that moment".
• Tactical types consciously operate with routes/pathways—they examine and contrast many different possible variations of present events and actions they can undertake (i.e. pathways), arrange them according to some kind of criteria (for example, for optimal efficiency).
• If Tactical types assess their actions to be directed towards a concrete goal, when the goal is reached they feel a sensation of emptiness, disappointment.
• Lexicon: in speech of tacticians words "way" "means" "methods" can often be heard. They are not inclined to speak of the purpose of their actions but rather substitute it with other concepts ("necessity" "dream" "interest" "task" and so on)

Strategy

• Strategic types focus their attention on a "point" they wish to reach, i.e. on the goal of their actions instead of the actions and events themselves.
• Strategists, as a rule, do not fix their direction i.e. concrete actions the sequence of which leads to the goal. Thus, their "trajectory" by which they move towards fulfilling their goals can change.
• They assess their actions and choices from the point of view of how closer they bring them to their desired objectives (goals). Being put before a choice, they reject those options that do not bring them closer.
• In analyzing past, Strategists accentuate "key moments" (most significant stages) that led them to present point. They do not consider all versions of events as equivalent (they perceive the version that has actualized separately, by itself)
• They consciously set goals and have difficulty scrapping them. May experience confusion if they are forced to change a goal. They experience satisfaction in achieving their set objectives (goals) and disappointment if they had to deviate away from it or could not achieve it.
• Strategists consciously operate with goals. In situations where Strategists have several goals, they sort and arrange their goals into a hierarchy.
• Without having a conscious goal, Strategists feel as if something is missing and their life is incomplete. They experience discomfort and feel disoriented.
• Lexicon: in their speech Strategists often use words "goal" "aim" and other versions of this. Strategists clearly express their goals and purposes, precisely formulate and describe them, do not substitute them with other concepts unlike Tacticians.

Notes

The key element in understanding this group is the dichotomy of "goal/purpose—method/pathway". The consciousness of the Strategist is to a larger degree orientated towards the goal/purpose itself and not towards the actions undertaken in process of achieving it, while the consciousness of the Tactician is largely focused on the path i.e. the actual actions ("steps") but not their end goal. This encompasses not only the conscious activities of individuals, which decisions they undertake, and so on, but also external circumstances, background events, and other concurrent factors. On a general level it is possible to speak about a difference in "reference points": either the course is corrected in accordance to some fixed goal (Strategist) or the course becomes fixed and goals become variable (Tactician).

Hypotheses

Tactical types feel disappointment upon reaching a goal in cases when they had to deviate from their course. This is because the course or pathway is more important for Tactical types than their goal. Thus, in situations when their purpose came to the foreground before their course, they experienced discomfort. This is further aggravated for Rational Tacticals, who, by their nature, are inclined to plan their actions, and feel great discomfort if their plans come apart. On the other hand, a feeling of emptiness arises because when a goal has been reached the course is interrupted. Tactical types feel as if the ground temporarily leaves from under their feet. The sensation of confidence, resoluteness that accompanies their normal mode of life disappears. When they were "moving along their own path", everything was clear and easy. Upon reaching a goal, even if it was a much desired one, Tactical types lose their "string" and often do not know how to proceed further and what to do next.

Examples

Tacticians: "To speak of global goals is difficult, a goal is several localized tasks" "I do not see one big goal, but rather a chain of small ones" "I pick up everything as I go along" "Long term goals... well I reach them, but somehow it all occurs crookedly" "If I ever set an end goal, I would have died! Such a thing does not exit for me" "There are multiple goals at the end of each path that you take. I try to "catch" them along the way" "My way, for a long time, was clear to me" "There are many things that I could have done, but haven't" "There are many ways in which my life could have unfolded. I could have lived in different places, could have had other professions" "If I was another person, everything could have been different" "When I look back and think about the things that could have been, I see many crossroads. I see myself, as I am living after taking a different turn—in another universe"

Strategists: "The point is not whether the goal is big or small, but in being aware of it. The goal is clear, the course is undefined... I don't always remember how I accomplish what I have in mind" "I was a slave to my goal" "A goal constitutes the central point of self-organization. I feel ashamed that some goals are left unfulfilled, even if they are insignificant... if a goal was drawn you can't really erase it" "A global goal is a comforting thought. If the criteria of a course satisfies the criteria set by the goal, I will take it" "There aren't any "distractions" along the way" "A person must have a goal in life, otherwise—what's the point?" "A huge list—35 items of what I want to accomplish in my life" "A person cannot always clearly state that what he wishes to accomplish, but nevertheless they accomplish it... minor questions I do not consider, I aim somewhere further than that" "There are such moment in ones life—cardinal moments,—where if I failed to do something I wanted, it would not have been me... I always look where it would have led me" "Every act leads somewhere" "There were many "key moments". The important thing was how they shortened or prolonged my movement towards the end point" "I keep track of "key moments" and can list them one by one. I regret that because of lack of experience I could not solve some problems effectively, and because of this it took longer time for me to reach my goal... One way or another, I would have reached the result that I wanted to reach."

Examples

Interaction of of two strategic types taken from Vera Stratievskaya's EII-LIE semi-duality description:

• Both EII and LIE are also strategic types: if they instigate something, it will be something substantial and they won't stop halfway at achieving this goal. Partners-strategists simply put each other before the fact that something is already planned and requires realization and active participation of the other partner. They do so without carefully considering means and capabilities of the other and without receiving his or her advice and consent. They simply suddenly "saddle" their partner with an activity or assignment, which in itself makes each of them feel frustrated. In dual relations, their enduring, hard-working, tactical, sensing partners LSE and ESI, can usually handle these "assignments" and help them realize their goals and plans, through even their energy and strength don't last forever. However, in semi-dual relations these two pragmatic and overly optimistic intuitive types are quickly faced with a mutual rejection of such plans: who likes it when such important and effort intensive decisions are made over their heads, regardless of their opinion, without their consent? – "You want this – you take care of it. Don't count on me. I have intended to do something else today."

Interaction of of two strategic types SLI-EII:

• I would ask her: "This weekend I'm planning to go to this presentation. Would you like to come along?" She (SLI) would respond with: "No, we have important plans for the weekend. Did you forget? Attend another time." Me: "Well what plans did we have?" Her: replies with something hazy. Then she would was just sit in and watch movies or chat online when the day came.

Theoretical properties of tactical and strategic types

Tactical/strategic corresponds with the inert/contact dichotomy for irrational information elements:

• The tactical types have contact sensing and inert intuition.
• The strategic types have contact intuition and inert sensing.