More Notes on the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China (Sunzi Art of War and More)

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Reflections of the Seven Classics Plus One

While the Sunzi essay delineates the philosophical side of strategy, the Sun Bin book delineates the operational groundwork behind a competitive campaign. In other words. one uses Sunzi principles to understand the configuration of a situation while using the principles of Sun Bin, Wuzi and Wei Liaozi to delineate the configuration of the logistics that is behind the situation.

Serious strategic thinkers of all sorts have always preferred to read Jiang Tai Gong (JTG) essay due to its emphasis on understanding a strategic side of campaign from top-down viewpoint. 

The Wuzi classic has become the relevant guide for those who need a solid view on the subject of strategic preparation.

Applying the Crux of the Seven Classics and Sun Bin to a Competitive Scenario
Unlike the "amateurish" Art of War cult who thrived on inspiring the masses through the action of a quote a minute, we have always believed in the active model of staying ahead of the curve through the action of assessing, positioning and influencing. 

Some of them are focused on the goal of getting to their destination first without understanding the configuration of the Big Tangible Picture. 

When competing in our global economy, the timeline is short while the quantity of resources is limited. Concurrently the quantity of the quality competitors has increased by five -fold. Changes are coming so fast. 

To adjust to those mentioned factors, what would a budding strategist's next move?

Do you really understand the configuration of your  Big Tangible Picture?

Utilizing the Foundation Eight Military Classics (Seven Classics + Sun Bin) as a Competitive Foundation
By reading these eight classics, you will be able to comprehend the configuration of your situation by connecting points from these five macro categories (the civil fundamentals, the martial fundamentals, the leadership fundamental, the tactical essentials and the tactical specifics.)

The Dao of Assessing the Situation
Seeing the causation and the effect from one relevant categories of specifics to another, is one of the numerous keys to good strategic assessment.  The challenge is to identify the appropriate factors and connecting those factors for certain situations.

Comments From the Compass Desk
"Instead of conquering through combat or achieving the fabled hundred victories in a hundred clashes, Li’s aim was victory without combat so as to preserve the state rather than debilitate it in warfare. " - Sawyer's translation of Strategies for the Human Realm: Crux of the T'ai-pai Yin-ching

Do you want to grind your way toward their target without ever understanding the Big Tangible Picture (BTP)? Each negative step would increase the amount of labor while decreasing your threshold of resources.  Most who do, regularly faltered in their campaign. Who wants to join them? Do you?

Understanding the Big Tangible Picture is a good skill to have. especially if one is dealing in a situation with minimum time line and limited resources. It also allows you to comprehend the following:

• the connectivity of the significant particulars from a top down perspective; 
• the possible opportunities; and 
• the approach for capitalizing on it 

Would you consider that skill as a strategic advantage? 

Utilizing it as a process model will be discussed in a future post or in our future book project.
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Proper Planning (and Preparation) Prevents Pissed, Poor Performance #2

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Some of our readers loved their quotes. They live their way of life through their quotes.  Sometimes, their flock follows them. 

To appease this section of our readers, here is an abridged list of quotes that the Compass team has collected:

• "Preparation Precedes Performance"
• "Proper Planning  and Preparation Prevents Pissed, Poor Performance"
• "The Will To Prepare" is more important than "The Will to Win".
• "Know when and how to prepare for planning is the first stage of preparation. ... Knowing what and how to plan is the next stage. ..."
• "Preparation Pays Profits when Preparation meets Opportunity...."
• "Preparation + Opportunity = Success. ..."

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• "The plan is nothing; . . . the planning is everything." - Dwight Eishenhower, the Grand Thinker of the "1944 D-day invasion of Normandy, France
• "Failure to Prepare is to Prepare to Failure." - Bill Walsh, the Architect of the West Coast Offense. Former Coach of San Francisco Forty Niners (Super Bowl Champions 1981-82, 1984-85, and 1988-89).
• " ... Organization leads to preparation. . . . Preparation eliminates the unexpected. Be ready for everything. . . . Overlook nothing. ... " - Brian Billick, Former Head Coach of Baltimore Ravens (Super Bowl Champions 2000-2001) .
• "If you have a plan, and if you have your direction laid out, you can chart your progress to your dreams at each stop along the way. ... And just as important, all along the way you can see how far you've come." - Michael Shanahan, Current Head Coach of the Washington Redskins, (Former coach of Denver Broncos, Super Bowl Champions 1997-1998, 1998-1999) 
• Organizing, leading, enduring setbacks and ultimately succeeding lies at the heart of every profession, be it business, the military or football. -Walsh ( Forbes | December 7, 1992 |)

Interestingly, the preachers and teachers from the Cult of the Art of War also employed this approach.  If you asked them how do they integrate the principles into one solid entity. they have no answers.  They just don't know.  Principles and quotes could only go so far. 

If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, 

you don't know what you're doing.  - W. Edward Deming

Philosophy does not win battles. Understanding the psychology, the mathemathics and the physics of the situation are the key factors behind the building of a plan. The next step is the processing of the intelligence into a process model. 

So, do you have a process model that allows you to see the tangible specifics?  ...  Do you?

Side note 
You can find interesting and unique views on planning and preparation in the Seven Strategic Classics and Sun Bin's classic.