Influencing (Catching) the Mindless Masses in the Information Economy (2)

To influence the mindless masses who are participating in the consumer terrain, we highly recommend this  classic , written by Vance Packard.

NYT

The configuration of the lure is usually based on your assessment of the situation. 

The assessment should be based on one's perception of what triggers "the nameless and faceless object" to conclude a certain type of decision.

Identify the trigger. Determine the personalized reward. Develop the routine. 

It is that simple.  

Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance

Source: Getlighthouse.com

Bill Walsh was a Super Bowl coach for the SF Forty Niners between 1979 -1988. He leaded them to three successful Super Bowls for those ten years.    

Coach Walsh was quite innovative and was also the architect of the West Coast Offense system. 

#

Following is a listing of quotes from his book- The Score Takes Care of Itself :

“I came to the San Francisco 49ers with an overriding priority and specific goal – to implement what I call the Standard of Performance.

“When you know that your peers – others in the organization – demand and expect a lot out of you and you, in turn, out of them, that’s when the sky’s the limit.”

“It was a way of doing things, a leadership philosophy that has as much to do with core values, principles, and ideals as with blocking, tackling, and passing: more to do with the mental than with the physical.

“While I prized preparation, planning, precision, and poise, I also knew that organizational ethics were crucial to ultimate ongoing success.

“It began with this fundamental leadership assertion: Regardless of your specific job, it is vital to our team that you do that job at the highest possible level in all its various aspects, both mental and physical (i.e., good talent with bad attitude equals bad talent).

“There are also the basic characteristics of attitude and action – the new organizational ethos – I tried to teach our team, to put into our DNA.

“Of course, for this to happen the person in charge – whether the head coach, CEO, manager, or assembly line foreman – must exhibit the principles.”

"Scripting was a most effective leadership tool in fair and foul weather. In a very calculated way, I began calling the plays for the game before the game was played."

"The more thorough, the more extensive, the more rehearsed, the better you perform under the pressure of any situation that calls for an immediate decision. ...”

“When you prepare for everything, you’re ready for anything.”

"I was always consumed with the X's and O's of football. It was like a chess game to me. I could see 22 people in my mind when I closed my eyes. I can see exactly where they are, exactly where they are going. If it's not part of your nature, you're never going to make it big. "

- Bill Walsh's, for an AIM's Investment Funds commercial (a part of Investco Funds Group) in 2002

#

Following is a listing of comments on Coach Walsh from his peers:

"Bill's thought process was, 'I'm going to take advantage of what you do well.' He was doing a lot of substituting, getting certain matchups. It was fascinating."

- Tony Dungy, Former NFL head coach, who played for Walsh's 1979 Niners team

" ... The biggest thing to come to mind is just how comprehensive his knowledge was. Most people think of Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense, but it was the organization, the personnel evaluation, how to deal with players -- Bill was really the first to start players' programs. Every interactive aspect of the entire organization is what Bill was such a master of. ..."

- Brian Billick, Former Baltimore Ravens head coach and co-author of Walsh's book, "Finding the Winning Edge"

"One of the most important things I learned being around Coach Walsh was that nothing happened because of luck. He planned for every situation and every eventuality. We had an answer for every blitz, every coverage and game situation, because we were challenged to prepare. .." 

- David Shaw, Stanford coach, who played for Walsh at Stanford  

"He would lock himself in a room on Monday night, turn on classical music, and he would create plays. Like a great composer. Alone. And design all the plays."

- Ernie Accorsi  Former GM of the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts

The way we begin games with a "First 15." I firmly believe that this was in line with Bill's love of boxing. This is the idea of starting games by probing your opponent with a variety of plays like a boxer would "stick and move."

- David Shaw

Source: NFL


The Script: The Perfect Leadership Tool

" ... By 1980, the script of Walsh’s opening plays had grown from five plays to twenty-five plays, allowing his team to visualize days before the game how they’d attack their opposition. By the time it matured in San Francisco, Walsh’s offense seemed to be a step or two ahead of its opposition, able to set the tone of the game, take full advantage of the liberalized passing rules and keep the defense off-balance. … ‘American’s Team’ was the most imitated club in football during the seventies. The Cowboys used computerized scouting, and the rest of the league eventually followed suit. The Cowboys used a multiple offense with lots of shifts. The Cowboys based much of their defensive philosophy on computerized tendencies identified from an opponent’s previous games; the rest of league based on computer-generated tendencies identified from an opponent’s previous games.

But Walsh’s twenty-five-plays script subverted all of that. You couldn’t plan for the 49ers because the 49ers didn’t have an identifiable sets of biases on first or second down and they possessed such versatile running backs that they were equally effective running or passing on third down.  .."

Source: More than a Game: The Glorious Present--and the Uncertain Future--of the NFL    By Brian Billick, Michael MacCambridge    Pg 125-126

Other Notes 
During our spare time, our associates are still focused on completing our Scripting Book project.  It has passed the 70% mark. 

Following is an abridged listing of "possible" topics that the book will cover:

• the basics of our Assess, Position and Influence model;  
• the conceptual bridge between our Assess, Position and Influence (API) process model and the script;
• the basics of a starter script (aka. the first 25, openers, drive starters, etc.);
• the basics of a well-developed scripted play;
• the basics of staging and shaping the competition with the integration of orthodox tactics and unorthodox tactics.
• the art and science of "scenario planning and modeling"; and
• the technical differences between our Assess, Position and Influence (API) model and John Boyd's Observation, Orientation, Decision and Action (OODA) model.

Side Notes    
We are still deciding on whether it is necessary to transpose the basics of the Sunzi's "Victory Temple" Paradigm into this book.

Click here and here for more quotes from Coach Walsh.

# # #

Renewing the Winter Tradition of Reading the Classics and Other Matters

(Updated at 12:22 hrs.)

As mentioned before, being mindfully aware is the key to succeeding in any endeavor. Sometimes it does not hurt to re-read the classics to remind us of the various fundamentals of life. 

Recommended Classics
In previous posts, we have discussed the topic of taking one quiet weekend to re-read the classics (The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, Dao De Jing, Zhuang Zi, etc.) during the winter season while standing.

One of the following weekends, some of the group will be re-reading some of the following books:

• Against the Gods (The Remarkable Story of Risk);
• Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories;
• The Protracted Game;
•  The Thirty-six Stratagems Applied to Go;
• The Tao of Physics; 
• Strategies for the Human Realm;
• The Tao of Deception;
• 100 Unorthodox Strategies;
• Dao De Jing;
• Zhuang Zi;
• The Romance of the Three Kingdoms; and
• other unique strategic classics.

Here is an abridged list of the past "hot" books that we have read:

• Anti-Fragile; 
• Made to Stick;
• The Physics of Wall Street;
• The Signal and The Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail- but Some Don't 
• Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe
• Bill James's Baseball Abstract

For those who are audio listeners, we recommended the following books:

• Dr. Ralph D. Sawyer's translation of The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China
• Dr. Ralph D. Sawyer's translation of Sunzi's The Art of War

The rest of us will also be working on our Tangible Vision and our Compass Script while drinking hot tea.

This specific tradition and the use of the standing table have also enabled us  to hone our strategic and tactical skills.

Other Traditions and Suggestions
Following are other interesting yearly traditions that some of our strategic associates have always abide by:

• Renewing one's yearly subscription of Business Week, Wired, Psychology Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist;
• Reviewing and updating one's tactical playbook;
• Reviewing and updating one's contacts database;
• Upgrading one's own technological infrastructure; and 
• Updating one's own security practices.

Our friends at Cook Ding Kitchen and other strategic groups have always reminded us to abide the subsequent list of suggestions that would help the underdogs:

• Donating some cash and/or valued books to the local libraries;  
• Donating some cash and/or food to the local charities; and 
• Offering strategic advice to the local non-profit charities.

Comment From the Compass Desk
Practicing the process of reading the configuration of a situation, reflecting on the pluses and the minuses and adjusting to the  situation, is the daily proclivity of a good strategic implementer.

In our case, we preferred the practice of assessing, positioning and influencing.  We will discuss about that specific practice in a future post. 

Side note 
The book reading tradition and the walking of precipitous heights originated from an associate who studied from a Wu Dang practitioner/TCM expert.

Happy New Year!

Succeeding in the Information Economy with the Right Practices: The Belichick's Hoodie

The Myth 
Regardless of the categories of sports, there are those fanatics who liked to imitate their favorite coaches and players for a myriad of reasons.

In the region of New England, there are the hardcore fans who followed Bill Belichick's habit of wearing his trademark hoodie 24/7 for the purpose of being like "Bill".

In most cases, it would be a miracle if any of them can emulate his strategic thinking or strategic decision management skills under duress

The Hoodie
While you can click here, here  and here for more trivia on wearing the Bill Belichick's hoodie, we recommended that you click here for the reason of understanding the psychology behind this practice of wearing the same (or similar) outfit everyday. 

You can secure more information on buying a Belichick's hoodie by clicking here.  I usually preferred the blue one.

We cannot guarantee that you will successfully triumph in your numerous ventures by wearing a Belichick's type of hoodie.  But your competition might somehow remember you regardless of the results.

Side Note: American Giant of San Francisco produces a high-quality "Made in USA" sweat shirt.

What Really Works? The Walsh's Tradition of Scripting
Some people believed that they can be triumphant just by imitating the habits of their idols without ever understanding the true reasons behind the person. 

Many of us at Compass360 CG  preferred to mindfully implement the process of Assessing, Positioning and Influencing the situation before ever utilizing the Bill Walsh's tradition of scripting a game plan. We understand the strategic and tactical reasoning, the means and methods and the situations for applying it

Click here on the understanding the basics of scripting.

"In planning, never a useless move. In strategy, no step is in vain. ..." - Chen Hao

The subtle objective behind having a good "starter play" script is devising a sequence of scripted plays that quietly achieves a multiplicity of tactical objectives. This will assist the playcaller to make the proper adjustment play.


The Benefits
Conclusively, the constant implementation of scripting a plan will enable the practicing strategists to understand the sequence for meeting their goal.

"In the field of observation, fortune favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur 

From our experience and other people's experience, this pragmatic practice psychologically focuses the strategic implementer  to stay centered on the targeted objective while being mindfully aware of one's own terrain and beyond.

The Truth
The myth of the hoodie reminded us of the Art of War Cult who carried their copy of Sunzi's Art Of War wherever they travel and for whatever strange reasons, thinking that the possession of that book would offered them an immediate strategic edge.  

As many of us know, that is a pure myth, just like wearing a hoodie or a red-colored shirt will make you a winner.

Learning how to script a gameplan will make the implementer a better strategic thinker while wearing the hoodie will only keep him/her warm.

When one can assess, position and influence the configuration of their Big Tangible Picture and beyond, the scripting of the tactical plays becomes easier.

The Compass Practice
I have no knowledge whether some of my fellow associates have ever wore a hoodie while standing during the scripting of a plan. But it is a good practice for centering oneself to a task at hand.  Listening to a murmur of Mozart's piano concertos and Bach's keyboard concertos while scripting the strategic plan and sipping a cup of Dragon Well tea will indirectly increase your productivity.

We will post other relevant, but efficient Compass Practices in the future.


Side Note: Viewing the Big Tangible Picture
In ancient China, some of the elite desktop strategists understand their Big Tangible Picture (the BTP) by reading Jiang Tai Gong's Six Secret Teachings and Wuzi's classic (Art of War) before ever concluding a grand decision of pursuing a collaboration or a conflict with another party. 

The essays of Sunzi's, Jiang Tai Gong's and Wuzi are found in Dr. Ralph D. Sawyer's translation of The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China.  

Our experience tells us that the superior but pragmatic practice is assessing the singularity of the Big Tangible Picture before integrating one's strategic script with the various strategic and tactical principles from The Eight (not Seven) Military Classics of Ancient China (Seven Classics + Sun Bin's Military Methods).

Side Note
Go Patriots! Beat the Colts.

(update) 
The Visiting Patriots defeats the Colts  42-20 on Sunday the 16th of Nov..

The Best Identity That A Competitive Team Can Have

From SF Gate.com

Football is complex and increasingly, we know less about what makes a team succeed, because coaches are becoming more paranoid about concealing their game plans. So on a given play, fans and media know percious little about why a play was run and about the defense set up to stop it.

This ignorance makes us want to glum on to ideas like “identity” because that will help us understand what a team is doing. But what does identity mean really?

It has already been written that the 49ers got back their run-dominant identity in order to win a needed game against the previously unbeaten Eagles on Sunday at Levi’s. Yes, Frank Gore bulled his way for 119 yards on 24 carries, and yes, the 49ers controlled the clock for 42 minutes and 17 seconds. But identity?

Only fans and sports writers, and former players turned analysts worry about identity. The 49ers just want to win, and if that means throwing the ball 60 times a game and running the read option, pistol offense out of the no-huddle, that’s what they will do. If it means running the ball with their starting fullback and backup guard playing the role of second tight end, they will do that too.

The 49ers did just that in their 26-21 victory. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t do something completely different next Sunday when the Alex Smith-led Chiefs visit.

“Just because we identify with (being a physical run team), doesn’t mean we can’t do other things, like split 5 wide out. Pretty versatile,” tight end Derek Carrier said.

“I think the mystery of what we do each week is what we try to keep up,” center Daniel Kilgore said. “We don’t want teams to pick up on anything. You never know what you are going to get. If we win, it’s all good. I don’t care what we are doing.”

Left tackle Joe Staley called the offense, “fluid.” He also said the offensive plan in Arizona of playing four and five wide receivers worked well, and it did. However, that fact got obscured by the loss.

“We are all about creating an advantage for what we can do. That’s what I like about this offense,” Staley said.

So if others want to put labels on their offense, or even their overall team philosophy, go ahead. The 49ers, meanwhile, will remain, “fluid.”

- eof

Being fluid is the best identity that a competitor can have.

"Now the army's disposition of force (xing)  is like water. Water's configuration (xing) avoids heights and races downward. The army's disposition of force (hsing) avoids the substantial and strikes the vacuous. Water configures (xing) its flow in accord with the terrain; the army controls its victory in accord with the enemy. Thus the army does not maintain any constant strategic configuration of power (shi), water has no constant shape (xing). One who is able to change and transform in accord with the enemy and wrest victory is termed spiritual. Thus [none of] the five phases constantly dominates; the four seasons do not have constant positions; the sun shines for longer and shorter periods; and the moon wanes and waxes. ..."
- Art of War 6

Q: How does one be fluid?
A: It begins by assessing the Big Tangible Picture of one's self and the configuration of their grand setting in term of the levels and the factors.. After the assessment, the next steps are: positioning and influencing.

Suggestion
To be fluid, focus on being the tide, not the wave.

Side Note
Regardless of what the the Art of War (AoW) cult say, simple rules or easy simplifications have never work in highly extreme and complex setting. Competing in the high reward level of the global economy means that one must know the singularity (or the Big Tangible Picture) of their grand strategic situation and beyond, before ever making a strategic decision..

Fwiw, the AoW cult's magic formula of pseudo inspiration does not always work.  Life goes on. 

The Best Practices of Desktop Strategists: Plan Your Work. Then Work Your Plan

Updated at 11:18 hrs

Plan your work. Then work your plan. Does that sound simple?

How can one plan their work when he or she does not know the basics for building a plan?  Better yet, does he or she know the configuration of the situation in terms of connectivity and consistency?

The Compass Process

Step One: Assess.   
Click here for the basics of assessing 

Step Two: Positioning Strategically by Planning and Preparing
Following is an abridged  listing of questions that the newbie project strategist should ask him or herself?

• What is the first step for planning a project?
• When does one establishes the metrics for their goals and objectives?
• When does one establishes the priorities for their goals and objectives?
• When does one establish the risk points for their goals and objectives?

Without the knowledge of those basics, the timeline will not be met and the project costs will escalated.  The project strategist would be lucky if half of the project requirements are met.

Some of our associates have suggested to me that the newbie strategist should take a class on strategic project management while reading the "Eight Strategy Classics" (Seven Military Classics of Ancient China + Sun Bin's Military Methods) during their off hours. It is that simple.  ... 

Step Three : Influence the Setting With One's Strategic Position
We will cover this specific topic in a future post.

Scripting to a Victory (The Bill Walsh Way)

(updated at 15:15 hrs)

One of the most interesting traditions/practices in sports is the scripting of the game plan.  From the 70's to the early 90's, Coach Bill Walsh innovated and utilized the concept of scripting the first 25 plays in his games. Then employing the results as a springboard to dominate his competition.

This process model has assisted him to win three Super Bowls and two college bowl games. 

His many prodigies have also employed it to win their shares of high stakes games and championships too.


The Basics of Scripting
Scripting is one of those unique practices that is worth learning and using. This practice enables the implementers to maximize their level of strategic efficiency.  It is quite easy to learn,  but moderately difficult to implement for the obvious competitive reasons.

Retrospectively, the completion of a script usually provides the principal script developer/chief decision makers the feeling of self-preparation. It also gave them a level of confidence.

The basic essentials are: a clipboard, some lined paper, some good writing pens (with red ink, blue ink, black ink and green ink), patience, persistence. a well-temperature room with an extreme state of quietude, a coffee pot of warm water, some tea leaves and the skill of assessing, positioning and influencing. 

Having an assortment of white boards, a tablet PC and/or a smart phone is not always essential for script development.  But it never hurts to have them.

The Compass Project 
We are currently working on a book project that focuses on the fundamentals of scripting through our macro process model of Assessing, Positioning and Influencing. 

This book is focused on the fundamentals of shaping and staging the competition through the application of an array of Chinese strategic principles and stratagems by scripting the right meta-tactical plays.  

How to Script One's Gameplan
One needs to know the objective, the approach, their means and the modes of each competitor before deciding on the different types of scripted plays and the order of the scripted plays.  

This approach enables the offensive play caller to decide on the approach for staging the competitor for a knockdown or a knockout while utilizing their opponent's proclivity as one of the key indicators. There are other key indicators that will be discussed in our current book project .

The Problem of Losing One's View of the Big Tangible Picture (BTP)
In the heat of the battle, some people usually forget the specifics behind their objectives and begin to panic while mis-comprehending the circumstances for staying on course or exiting from the gameplan. 

Our solution is the usage of the Compass PACE guidelines. It guides the offensive play callers to know when to stay on course or when to change direction in certain situations.

Building the PACE Guidelines

The development of the PACE guidelines before the scripting of the array of tactical plays, allows the chief strategic decision makers to understand what is their target and what direction they are pursuing. 

What are the PACE Guidelines

• Priority Objectives: This category focuses on the ranking and the specifics of the targets
• Approach: This category focuses on the definition of the strategic timing points for being efficient and flexible
• Condition: This category focuses on the possibility of certain positive case scenarios and the contingency plans 
• Exception: This category focuses on the possibility of certain negative case scenarios and the contingency plans 

This tool also allows the offensive play caller to know when to stay on course or when to change direction.

We will delineates the psychological reasoning for using the PACE guidelines in a future post.

Identifying the math and physics behind anything relevant is sometimes easy. 

Establishing the Adjustment of the Big Tangible Picture
Once the scripted play is called, the offensive play caller knows something about the defense while the defensive play caller might know something about the state of the offensive team.  Based on the previously called play and other factors, the defensive play caller could possibility figure out the offensive play caller's next possible play. 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.”  
- Walter Scott, Marmion

Once the allotment of the scripted plays are called, the game of cat and mouse begins.  The offensive play caller might decide to recirculate some of the previous scripted plays or run a variational change off those plays.

A Mini-Test Case of a Scripted Play 

From a Opening (Starter) Plays Script  

Situation: 1st down and 10 or 2nd down and short, on one's own 30 yard line.

After implementing a quick trap to strong side from the pro set formation (slot left, TE Right) on the second play (regardless of the result in some instances), the offensive play caller might signal the same play with either one  of the following options in the 26th play:

• same run play with a different set of shift and motion by the wide receivers
• a play action pass with a five step drop; and  
• a play action pass with a QB rolling out to the weakside.  

Each option is depended on the previous response and the projected response of the defense.  The strategic state and the strategic efficiency of the competition usually determines the manner of play calling.

Side note: Most playcallers preferred the 15-20 plays script model for the psychological reason that they feel that they would have a good read on the competition's intent and methods.  A few might run a 25 plays script for the obvious reason of exposing the probable deception lead by the defense.  

Those who are deeply skilled in the art and science of strategic shaping and staging, preferred the 25 plays option. 

Comments From the Compass Desk 
Regardless of the array of innovative concepts that Coach Walsh has contributed to the game of football, the script is one of the most useful tools that could be applied to modern day life.

In an unpredictable setting, the tool enables the implementer to strategize in terms of contingencies. 

Click here on some of the basics of scripting 

As mentioned before, the smart strategist could build a script with the following items: a quiet and well-temperatured room; a ream of lined paper; colored pens and a good set of assessment skills. (In some instances, high tech tools are not needed.)

There is a psychological reason for using pen and paper for the initial stage. Those who have seriously studied Yi Quan or Taijiquan, would understand why. 

# You do know how to assess. Do you?  

Whenever you watch a football game, ask yourself if the offensive coordinator is calling a well-scripted game. 

Side Note
We didn't published our book on assessing strategically through the employment of Sunzi's strategic principles because of the quantity of Sunzi's type  of books that were being pushed in the published books marketplace.  Most of these books were quite average or below average regarding to their concept of applications and new ideas. 

Some of them repeated the same obvious points- "if they do this, you do this" type of approach without ever emphasizing on the importance of comprehending the strategic state of the situation. They also outlined the same old idealistic rules of thumb.

For the apparent reasons, the approach of utilizing the rules of thumbs and the simplification of perspective is for amateurs.

These writers have not thoroughly learned the process of "assessing strategically", one of the holy grails behind the Sunzi's essay. Some aspects of this skill can be found in Jiang Tai Gong's Six Secret Teachings. 

Our intent was not to get lost in the abyss of high noise and low signal.
.  
What makes our book unique is our focus on the connectivity between the scripted plays to the categories of adjustment plays and situational plays. 

Whenever the book is published, we hope that you like it.

A Few More Side Notes
Click here for a field level example of assessing, positioning and influencing.

For the Niners Faithful, we recommended this great book by Daniel Brown- 100 Things 49ers fans should know and do before they die  and Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh's book -  The Score Takes Care of Itself.  

Our associates at Cook Ding's Kitchen have always reminded the novices and the neophytes that one cannot successfully strategize if he or she is not able to stay focused on their immediate objective. They also reminded them that the reading of the Art of War does not help either.  

# # #

A Late Post-Game Analysis of Germany vs, Brazil (From The View of the Art of War)

There are many reasons why Brazil lost to Germany or why Germany prevailed.

Regardless of the superficial reasoning on why Brazil lost, the loss of their two major players was the main reason. The players then fell apart as a team.  

Look at the following statistics

BRAZIL VS GERMANY STATISTICS

ATTACKS: Brazil win 55 to 34

ATTEMPTS: Brazil win 18 to 14

ON TARGET: Brazil win 13 to 12

DELIVERIES: Brazil win 19 to 11

CROSSES: Brazil win 22 to 10

CORNERS: Brazil win 7 to 5

SAVES: Brazil win 7 to 3

LOST BALLS: Brazil win 69 to 76

TACKLES WON: Brazil win 5 to 1

RECOVERIES: Brazil win 46 to 34

CLEARANCES: Brazil win 20 to 4

POSSESSION: Brazil win 52% to 48%

BUT...

PASSES: Germany win 592 to 547

COMPLETION: Germany win 82% to 79%

GOALS: Germany win 7 to 1

All statistics courtesy of FIFA.

The Victory Temple Model
“These are the ways that successful strategists are victorious. They cannot be spoken or transmitted in advance. ... Before the confrontation, they resolve in their planning  room that they will be victorious, have determined that the majority of factors are in their favor. Before the confrontation they resolve in their planning room that they will not be victorious, have determined a 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

In this case, players, teamwork and tactics  are the primary factors. 

Players ---> Teamwork  ---> Tactics

   
While the quality of the players determines the solidification of team work. the teamwork concluded the category of employed tactics.  It also determines the success of the the employed tactics. 

Whenever the starters are injured, the quality of the bench players rarely matches up with the level of the starters.  The strategically-minded observers could expect the scope of the scoring tactics would be limited.

The Guest Plays the Host Factor
"The Guest Plays the Host" is one of the various stratagems of the 36 Stratagems and is used for gaining strategic momentum. 

In antiquity those that excelled in warfare first made themselves unconquerable in order to await [the moment when] the enemy could be conquered.

Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with the enemy.

Thus it is said a strategy for conquering the enemy can be known but yet not possible to implement. 

- Art of War 4

To gain the status of the host, the guest employ tactics to transform their underdog position into an active position.

The Brazil team possessed the advantage of the home terrain factor.  Their fan base thought that the win was an automatic.   

Once the German team scored the first three goals, the bubble of the home team advantage burst.  As the Brazil fans left in droves, the spirit of the Brasil team began to decline dramatically regardless of what the statistics said.

Side Note
This alternative meaning of this stratagem is that the host "disrespects his guest,  but is respected well by the guest. 

Click here for one's prediction on tonight's game.

Succeeding in the Information Economy: Understanding the Concept of Timing

"Nature, red in tooth and claw" - Tennyson.

Click here for an interesting set of photos on how an golden eagle attacks and kills a sika deer. 

Assessing the Big Tangible Picture  
"The eagle excels in its craft by awaiting events in the situation without making any movement. When he sees that he can be victorious, he will arise; if he sees that he cannot be victorious, he will desist. Thus it is said that he does not have any fear, he does not vacillate. Indecisiveness and doubt do not play a role in any of his actions.

"As a hunter, he does not lose an advantage when he perceives it or be doubtful when he meets the opportunity. The eagle follows the flow of time and does not lose an advantage; the skillful, he is decisive and have no doubts. He strikes like a sudden clap of thunder, which does not give time to cover ears; strike like a flash of lightning, which does not give time to close the eyes. ... Those who oppose him will be destroyed; those who come near will perish. Who can defend against such an attack?"   

Inspired by The Six Secret Teachings 

Capitalizing on an Opportunity by Timing the Coup de Grâce 
"... If the army's attack is like a whetstone thrown against an egg, it is due to the vacous and substantial ... The strategic configuration of power is visible in the onrush of pent-up water tumbling stones along. The effect of constraints is visible in the onrush of a bird of prey breaking the bones of its target. Thus the strategic configuration of power of those focused, their constraints are precise. Their strategic configuration of power is like a fully drawn crossbow, their constraints like the release of the trigger.

Intermixed and turbulent, the fighting appears chaotic, but they cannot be made disordered. In turmoil and confusion, their deployment is circular, and they cannot be defeated.  ..."
- Art Of War 

To attack an competitor, one must understand the following essential points that usually reigned over any competitive situation:

• the strategic disposition of the competitive terrain;
• the strategic disposition of each competitor within the competitive terrain;
• the opportunity and the timing point of the competitive terrain;
• the opportunity and the timing point of the competitors; and
• the reality of the situation.

Comments From The Compass Desk
To properly utilize the concept of strategic power, the successful strategist always assesses the configuration of a situation by understanding the connectivity of the relevant components that operates within it.

Then the successful strategist positions himself and his team toward a strategic disposition that offers them a path of minimum cost and maximum efficiency. 

Then the influencing of the target begins by the implementation of his planned and prepared actions.

We will touch more on this unique topic in a future post.