The Trademark of the Bill Walsh's Script: Anticipating Ahead

(updated on 8.28.2016)

A few weeks ago, Eddie DeBartolo, the former owner of the S.F. 49er was inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame and received a helmet gift from Bill Walsh's son.

On the helmet was an inscribed message from Bill Walsh that congratulated him on his entry to the Pro Football's HoF, “Congratulations, I knew you’d get in eventually.” 

Bill Walsh signed the helmet before his passing (2006), and it had been waiting for Mr DeBartolo's eventual induction. 

Possessing foresight and scripting each and every individual strategic moves were some of the many trademarked moves of Bill Walsh as a world class sport strategist. 

Click here and here for more information on this story. 

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. 

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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

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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.

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Interesting Thoughts and Quotes From "The Bill Walsh Way" ( 2 )

Source: http://coachkylebrown.blogspot.com/

Interesting Thoughts and Quotes From "The Bill Walsh Way" ( 1 )

Source: http://coachkylebrown.blogspot.com/

The True Motive Behind Scripting The Starter Plays

One of the grandest traditions in the game of coaching football is the practice of scripting one's offensive starter plays, for the purpose of identifying the motives and the methods of their opposition. 

The originator of this moderately simple but innovative practice was Bill Walsh, the architect of the West Coast Offense and the former head coach of the San Francisco Forty Niners between 1979-1989.  

Beside the implementation of the script, Walsh also innovated the short-range passing attack portion of the West Coast Offense and the ratiocination for building a world class organization.

Under the leadership of Coach Walsh, the San Francisco Forty Niners won three Super Bowl Championships.  Some members of his football family have also won Super Bowls and many college bowls.

Click here on the brief history and the technicalities for scripting the starter plays

The Psychology of Scripting the Starter Plays
Before knowing the true motive behind scripting the starter plays, the smart strategist must know the following target points for scripting the starter plays: 

• the technical weaknesses of the opposing defense (field players and sideline players);
• the confirmation of the tactical deficiencies of the opposing defense; 
• the identification of situational proclivity of the defensive playcaller;  
• the approach for staging the opposing defense for adjustment plays and 
• the staging of plays that would exploit their true inefficiencies.

By performing the above five points, the successful strategist is able to influence the opposing defense to be reactive.   

With the right play and the proper execution, this "real time" process enables the offensive coordinator to know when to call the game-changing play.  

(More to come.)

The Intricacies of Scripting Plays  
To properly develop the script of starter plays, the offensive coordinator must have the drive to knowing each and every technical deficiencies of the defense and possessed the mindset to measure and manipulate the defensive play caller and the defensive team who are operating on the field.  

When the script is working, the offensive coordinator and his scouting team begin to notice the confirmation of the targeted defensive player's base tendencies in various tactical situations (i.e., the "down and distance" situations, etc.) and their reactions to certain offensive formations, alignments, shifts and motions.

The Question of the Day

One of the unique challenges of running a scripted play while adjusting to the constant shifting of the defensive line and the constant threat of delayed blitzes and multiple blitzes from different directions. As a strategic thinker, do you know how to capitalize on that?

Side Notes
Connecting the principles from the Sunzi's essay to the process of scripting is a metaphysical challenge for the amateurs. Having the drive to seeing the Big Tangible Picture while possessing the technical foundation of strategic thinking is the key to building a good starter script.

The alpha fundamental to becoming successfully competitive is to properly assessing the strategic situation while performing one or more of the following points:

• Building the starter script and the master script of plays on the strengths and the weaknesses of players on both sides
• Implementing the starter script properly;
• Knowing when to adjust to and from the starter script; and 
• Convincing the offensive team to believe in the tangibility behind it.

The Final Note
We will publish our "Scripting" book sometime in the future.

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..

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.  

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Comments on WSJ's Article on "Football's Secret Strategies" (How to Shape the Competition)

(updated on 12.03.13)

Presuming that you are a gridiron fan, do you know the strategic process that some football coaches have used to designed their football game strategies?

Click here for an interesting read from this past Friday's Wall Street Journal on this unique topic.

What fascinates most readers is the extensiveness of planning and preparation that arises from this high level of competition. In some cases, the possible consequences that arise from a potential team loss quietly hover on the mind of the coaches and the players.  The solution to that dilemma is that they must believed that their scheme is built correctly and that they are capable to execute it. The 

The Compass View on Gameplanning
The objective of any "tangible" gameplan is to "subjugate" the competition by whatever legal means necessary.

Following is our abridged listing of the basic objectives that should be in all competitive gameplans:

• Capitalizing on the competitor's weaknesses while avoiding their strengths;
• Focusing on utilizing one's strengths while concealing one's own weaknesses;
• Initiating our momentum from the inception of the game (i.e., scoring first  or creating a defensive turnover) while diminishing their momentum and 
• Shaping the mindset of the competition before they "shape" us.

The universal traits of all successful strategists is knowing how to do the following:

• Gameplanning a situation; 
• Assessing the competition;
• Scripting an field plan;
• Preparing the team properly and 
• Completing the objective regardless of the inertia and the entropy.

The Art and Science of Assessing the Competition

Click here and here on the rudiments for assessing the competition In terms of football.  

Understanding how the competition would respond to certain events as a team is the key to good assessing.  We will touch more on this topic in a future post or in our future book.

After properly assessing the competition, successful strategists started the process of scripting their starting plays.  ... Do you script your tactical moves?

The Art and Science of Scripting

Good gameplan begins by centering oneself  while scripting their starter moves.  This step usually enables the implementers to shape their perspective about their goal.

Click here if you are interested in the basics of scripting one's starter's moves.  It is based on our research on how Bill Walsh  the former SF Forty-Niners coach (Three time Super Bowl Champions) and the late architect of the West Coast Offense system utilized it. 

Some of us are currently working on a book on how to shape the competition through a "starter script (Bill Walsh's 25 Plays Script).".   ... We believed that we will finish it sometime next year (depending on our priorities). 

Beside the introduction of the initial objectives of the script, we will cover the art of shaping the competition and the basics of organizing the starter script.  .. An associate who formerly worked with Coach Walsh, thought that the specifics behind our research were "on target."  

We wanted our first book to be interesting.  Concurrently, we postponed our Sunzi's Strategic Assessment book project because of other priorities and the current mis-conceptualization of Sunzi essay by an assortment of amateur strategists.

Side Notes on Deception and Unethical Subversion

"Win if you could. Lose if you must. But don't get caught cheating."

Click here on how the NBA caught Coach Jason Kidd cheating. Then click here and here on how Coach Tomlin's interfered with the game with a certain gamesmanship maneuver. 

Even some great coaches like Bill Belichick have been known for implementing an unorthodox tactic or two.  In 2007, he was accused of "cheating."

Click here on some of the irregular and slightly underhanded tactics recommended by the late and great Red Auerbach.

Comments From The Compass Desk
The extreme competitive strategists believed that 90% of the "competition" game is succeeding by whatever means necessary.  The other 10% is performing those means under "the radar."

Regardless how the competition is shaped, the essence of their true character will occasionally appear.

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How to Build a Unified Team (From the View of the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers)

(updated on 11.09.13 @ 5:55 pm)

We presumed that you have heard about the rookie hazing incident in the Miami Dolphins locker room.  However, It is not an isolated incident especially in the camps of the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders.  While some players referred to it as a bonding process, one NY Giants player indirectly described it as a part of the maturing process to becoming a professional football player. 

There are always a few minor pranks and rituals, but the players in professional football teams like the Philadelphia Eagles,  the New England Patriots and the San Francisco Forty Niners do not pursue the avenue of the extreme. 

In the NFL, the playoff contending teams are always focused on winning not waste their time on unproductive practices.

The Bill Walsh's Solution
Bill Walsh. the late architect of the West Coast Offense system, has always believed that it is important to focus the rookies on learning and mastering the specifics of "the pro game".

" ... The late Bill Walsh banished rookie hazing when he first started coaching the team in 1979. He wanted rookies contributing right away and didn’t want them bogged down with thinking about anything more than football.

It was just one of many innovations emanating from Walsh. Over the last 25 years, I never heard of any rookie hazing, which, of course, doesn’t mean there wasn’t any. But from afar, it just never seemed to be a part of the culture. There have been pranksters like former guard Kevin Gogan, who used to disrupt the offensive line meetings constantly.

Gogan’s aimed many of his pranks at Tim Hanshaw, who got his share of ribbing and an old-fashioned spit wad to the back of the head from Gogan, who once graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as the NFL’s dirtiest player. But Gogan was not a racist, and when his former offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick was dying of cancer, Gogan made amends to him.

Ask around the 49ers’ locker room and the only requirement for rookies seems to be to provide cans of chew and to bring Jamba juice on Friday’s.

Tackle Joe Staley said rookies used to pay for some dinners, but the tab was never ridiculous. Over the years, rookies would lug the pads and helmets of veterans.

“We don’t even do that any more,” Staley said. “Players should never embarrass people for their own bravado.”

At least from the outside looking in, the spirit of Bill Walsh on hazing seems to live on within the 49ers’ locker room.  ... "  - SFGate.com 

The Sun Bin's View on 
Organizational Unification
"An army that is able to overcome great adversity  is able to unite the people's minds. - paraphrased from  Sun Bin's Military Methods, 22 

Whenever a team or an organization is able to overcome obstacles, the principals begin to understand that there is a grander cause that is greater then themselves.

Final Thoughts
Regardless of some people's view, we believed that that practice of hazing is not good for any organization. History has shown that a consistency of team victories is the most effective approach to unify a team,

We will talk more about the other approaches to unifying a team in a future post.

Side notes

• Click here for a thorough view on Sun Bin.
• Click here on another innovation of Bill Walsh.

Succeeding in the Competitive Economy: Building The Competitive Mojo Before The Game

Building The Mojo 
Various players would do certain rituals to start up their competitive mojo.  Wade Boggs, the former Bosox 3rd baseman starts his ritual by eating some sort of chicken meal before a game. Where Tim Lincecum, the S.F. Giants  Cy Young winning pitcher would regularly eat In and Out's "Double-Double" burgers before a game and/or after the game. .

Wade Boggs would also fielded 150 ground balls before a game.  

Steve Young, the famous S.F. Niners quarterback used to vomit before a football game while his teammate Ronnie Lott would read Sunzi The Art of War. Bill Walsh, the late great Niners coach used to visualize himself behind a glass wall before the game.  The practice of this unique exercise stabilized his emotions and enabled him to stay focused on the  the game.  He would then look at his master script before doing anything else. (The last two practices are some of our favorite psychological preparation tactics.)

Dominik Hasek, the former great goalie of Detroit Red Wings used to stretch continuously before the game and during the breaks within the game.  This act of stretching enabled him to become one of the greatest hockey goalies.  Do you know why it works?

The former Oakland Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler was famous for drinking Jack Daniel's whiskey before and after the game.  

One Celtics point guard preferred to sprint around the arena as a part of his pregame ritual. The current S.F. Niners QB Colin Kaepernick also performed a similar routine.  ... Do you know why it works?   ... Some athletes would also consume gallons of coffee or cans of Red Bull before the game begins. The reasoning should be obvious. 

So, what set of "competitive mojo accelerating" practices have you been utilizing? Has it always connected you to your well-being?

Other Unique Practices
From the Six Secret Teachings book, Jiang Tai Gong suggested the act of fasting before making a consummate decision..  

Thoughts From The Compass Desk
In some cases, one must have a competitive drive to do anything relevant. Knowing the approach to energized oneself is quite the challenge.

To build the competitive mojo, one must be consciously aware of their own internal being. Studying it through a book is not going to help anyone. 

There are many ways to achieve this arcane feat. Our friends at Cook DIng's Kitchen are profound practitioners of the internal martial arts and have advised us that one of the most effective practices is the Yi Quan's standing post. 

The intent behind this practice and other rituals is the centering of oneself psychologically and spiritually.

We will review more on the topic of "The Art of the Focus" in a future post.

Side note
The Cult of the Art of War has a tendency of preaching that that one becomes competitive by reading the Art of War. From our observations and our experience , that tactic does not work unless that person has successfully compete at that present level or above.  In an extreme situation, the amateur "Art of War" reading competitor would be slaughtered like a lamb.