Friday, November 11, 2011

The Dao of Strategic Assessment #7: Assessing the AoW's Audience



“These are the ways that successful strategists are victorious. They cannot be spoken or transmitted in advance. ... Before the confrontation, they resolve in their conference room that that they will be victorious, have found that the majority of factors are in his favor. Before the confrontation they resolve in their conference room that they will not be victorious have found few factors are in their favor.

If those who find that the majority of factors favor them, will be victorious while those who have found few factors favor them will be defeated, what about someone who finds no factors in their favor?

When observing from this viewpoint, victory and defeat will be apparent.”


- Art of War 1 (Paraphrased from the Sawyer's translation)


Someone recently asked us the following five questions?
  • What are those factors that the ancient Chinese Generals used for strategic assessment?
  • Can you use those factors for modern business?
  • Why are those factors not taught out in the open?
  • What is the difference between assessing strategically and estimating?
  • Why is strategic assessment important to strategic planning?
  • Why do good plans fail?

We will reveal the answers in the future. However, you can ask your local Sunzi reader or expert and see if he/she knows the answers.

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