The Bottom Line
Visionaries speak in dreams. Tactical teams speak in steps. Neither is wrong—they’re just different languages. An operator translates between them, turning “castle in the sky” into “lay these bricks, in this order, with these people.”
Why This Matters
Without a translator, you get two kinds of frustration:
The visionary can’t understand why the team isn’t executing on what seems obvious. They leave meetings feeling unheard.
The team leaves meetings feeling inspired but directionless. “That sounded great… but what do I actually do now?”
This gap kills momentum. It breeds resentment. And it makes the visionary feel like they have to get involved in every detail just to get anything done.
The Framework
The Communication Overlap Model:
Visionary ←→ Operator ←→ Team
(Strategic) (Both) (Tactical)- Visionary — Thinks in broad brushstrokes, future states, big pictures
- Operator — Overlaps both strategic AND tactical thinking
- Team — Thinks in steps, procedures, what they can see and touch
The operator is the bridge. They speak both languages.
How to Do It
Step 1: Recognize the Communication Styles
Visionaries use language like:
- “We’re building something bigger”
- “Picture where we’ll be in five years”
- “The future of this industry is…”
Tactical people use language like:
- “What are the exact steps?”
- “Who’s responsible for this?”
- “When is it due?”
Neither is wrong. They’re just thinking at different altitudes.
Watch for: Dismissing tactical questions as “missing the point” or strategic discussions as “not practical.” Both reactions signal a communication gap, not a competence problem.
Step 2: Find (or Develop) Your Operator
The operator needs to overlap both worlds:
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Strategic overlap: Can talk about big picture, where you’re going, why it matters. Maybe not as grand as the visionary, but fluent enough to have real conversations.
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Tactical overlap: Can translate strategy into bullet points, work instructions, procedures, and clear next steps.
Watch for: Someone who’s purely strategic or purely tactical won’t work. They need genuine fluency in both.
Step 3: Let the Operator Translate
After the visionary paints the vision, the operator’s job is to turn it into:
- Clear objectives with owners
- Step-by-step procedures
- Work instructions the team can execute
- Checkpoints to verify progress
The team shouldn’t need to guess what the visionary meant. They should have a clear list of what to do.
Common Mistakes
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Expecting the visionary to become tactical: They can learn, but it’s not their natural strength. You’re fighting against how they think.
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Expecting the team to “get” the vision without translation: Big dreams don’t automatically convert to action items. Someone has to do the conversion.
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Hiring operators who only have one overlap: If they can talk strategy but can’t break it into steps, or vice versa, you still have a gap.
Your Next Move
Do this now: Identify who in your organization currently does this translation work—even informally. If no one does, you’ve found your bottleneck.