Strategy

Planning - What If - Best and Worst Case - Roles

When people talk about strategy they often liken it to war. With the wrong strategy people die and in business….well its just the same.

The Art Of War by Sun Tzu and its partner the Book of Five Rings are not just about going to war itself but knowing when there is no alternative but to fight and knowing which strategy to use in order to overcome your enemy or hurdle. It is not how big your army is, it is the strategy you employ given the resources, terrain and enemy you face.

In business you face similar challenges. Finding strategies to win your individual battles is about knowing your market (terrain) and employing your people and technology (resources) in a way that will allow you to overcome larger opponents and win the hearts and minds of your audience.

Simply put its finding opportunities that you can exploit to your advantage.

Strategy is to know the complexity of the world you live in and find, plan and navigate a route through to your goal.

Thinking honestly must be your first and hardest step, only then will you get true answers, some of which maybe hard truths we have chosen to ignore. How honest are you about yourself and your business ?

Train each and every day, whether it is infield or from books or with colleagues and friends. Don’t stop learning and educating yourself as the day you stop growing is the day you and your business start dieing.

Become acquainted with every art. The arts employ strict codes of practices from which you must follow in order to excel. They require dedication and commitment beyond our daily comfort zones.

Know the ways of all professions. This is especially true in business. How can we do our job correctly unless we understand how it affects others? How can we lead unless we understand the whole and how it interacts?

Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. Now this one is very difficult as in today’s modern world people see "loot and things" (money & posessions) as being the definition of success or attainment. I prefer "roots and wings" in which principles are learned and understood sometimes at the cost of short term gains in loot and things. With principles you can attain what you want and when you want it.

Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Don’t just listen to your conscious mind, allow your unconscious to speak. Gut feel, vision, what ever you want to call it. Just do it!

Perceive those things that cannot be seen. Understanding where you are now and how you got here gives you the power to see and recognise the changes and challenges ahead.

Pay attention even to trifles, because the Devil is in the details.

Do nothing which is of no use. Your time must be spent wisely.

What strategy does your business have to achieve its desired results?

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