Thursday, September 19, 2013

Profiting in the Information Economy by Knowing How to Build A "Complete" Strategy

(updated on 09.21.13  03:33 am)

Regardless of your competitive realm, are you able to build a strategic plan that possessed no major weak points/potential failures?

Do you know what elements are in this type of plan?  ...  For this post,we are introducing the concept of strategic completeness.


The Complete Strategy Concept

The completeness of a plan must have the following four strategic factors:
  • The Seasonal Cycle of One's terrain factor - Possessing the cyclical advantage of utilizing the configuration of the terrain to capitalize on relevant opportunities;
  • The First Move Advantage Factor - Pursuing a target and/or defending from opposing offenses with organizational order;
  • The Maneuver to Advantage Factor - Advancing to the target and/or retreating from the opposing offense with direction and simplicity; and 
  • The Executing with Direction Factor- Deploying unique tactical moves that integrate the quality of directness and indirectness.
Understanding the Luck Factor in Strategy 
Discovering, deciding and executing the advantageous move that immediately leads to a total complete win, is the favorite modus of most amateur strategists.  Historically, it rarely works.  ...  For every two successes, there are 98 failures.   That is not a winning percentage.  Waiting for luck to appear, is not always a good approach.  

It is like waiting for a quarterback to throw a long touchdown pass from his 10 yard line with 2 seconds left. 

Anticipating for a certain opportunity through assessing, positioning and influencing is one of the many tangible keys to a grand victory. It begins by scripting the grand plan in terms of the what's and the hows of assessing, positioning and influencing. 

The successful strategist preferred to implement an incremental sequence of moves that achieves strategic milestones while being mindful of the possible opportunity to deploy the advantageous move. 

Whenever a strategic move is achieved, the successful strategist becomes one step closer to the finish line. That approach is more realistic and successful than the choice of executing a "Hail Mary,  Long Bomb" tactic.

When an opportunity of completing the target in one move arises, he seizes it with a level of caution.


Understanding the Big Tangible Picture

The Compass Chart
Copyright © 2007- 2013 Compass360Consulting.com. All Rights Reserved

Through the understanding of the Big Tangible Picture of their settings, one could achieve the many unique objectives by finding the path of least resistance through the mountains and valleys of information data.

It begins by building the "complete" strategy. Securing sound and solid information is the starting step and the most difficult objective to achieve. We recommended that you read Chapter 13 of The Art of War. It should assist you in understanding our intended point, after a few times.    (Our presumption is that you have some strategic experience and some strategic awareness skills.)


The next step is the scripting and the implementing of certain tactics to test the quality of the information. Whatever is left after the test, is usually the truth. 

By utilizing the "Complete Strategy" approach, the successful strategist would always have alternative options to either gain a greater strategic balance or to secure a grand opportunity while the competition is left with minimum options. All he has to do is to stay centered and focused on the objective at hand while being mindful of his terrain and beyond.

There will be more on the "Complete Strategy" topic of and the matter of what happens when the chief decision maker is operating under a tight timeline while possessing with incomplete information and is forced to decide on a difficult situation, at a later post.

In our case, we have used the Compass Chart to identify the configuration within the competitor's plan and the momentum-driven direction of the terrain. 


Zhang Liang, The Consummate Strategist



Some historians have claimed that Zhang Liang,(a famous Han Dynasty's strategist) utilized the "complete" strategy" approach. This unique skill set has enabled him to make an array of good strategic decisions for his employer (the First Emperor of Han Dynasty) and assisted him to leave his employer with his head intact. 

Some of Zhang Liang's exploits can be found in Dr. Ralph Sawyer's Tao of Deception.   


Triva-wise, Zhang Liang was an ardent reader of Jiang Tai Gong's Six Secret Teachings and a possible follower of the ideas from the Huang Shek Gong's Three Strategies book.

The Question of the Day

Do you know what strategic games directly or indirectly emphasize those four attributes of completeness?

No comments: