The Dao of the Amateur Spycraft

(updated on 090717 at 12:12 hrs)

Securing sound and solid intelligence is the first step to establishing an efficient strategic position.  

The Boston Red Sox took that strategic pointer to a different level through technological means.  However, they got caught by their favorite rival.  Now the Red Sox is forced to admit that they have cheated.

Regardless of the outcome, one must contemplate about the lesson that is learned.  ...  Those who pursue this practice, must properly master the projected informational gathering technique before ever executing it in the field.  Being exposed for using it is usually embarrassing.  ...  

The Pragmatic Practice
This situation could have been avoided if the Red Sox had carefully utilize more than one signaler in each game and switched them during each inning for each individual games. 

Training each signalers properly in terms of initial signals and contingency signals, would have been helpful too. Therefore the Yankees would not have caught them.  

Problem: If the receiver of the signal does not possess the "emotional-intellectual" capacity to absorb the information, then he will be confused and lose track of what to do next.

The better strategic move was to expose the Yankees for the same action first.   

Conclusively, this exposure is more about gamesmanship than anything else.  In spite of this situation, both teams has to play the actual game.  

The Theory of Strategic Positioning
The "strategic positioning" concept is about gaining a position that gives the field team the advantage of anticipating a minimum of two steps ahead while moving a minimum of half a move ahead.

Depending on the timeline factor and the resources factors, the next step is determining the most efficient strategic approach.  (That is another topic)

The Compass View 
In the information economy,  most of our public actions are always being monitored and recorded.  It is important to always contemplate carefully on implementing the right strategic moves while be mindfully aware of establishing the strategic position.

When deciding on the type of strategic position, knowing the timeline and the efficiency rate of the available resources for the current situation and its prioritization to the Big Tangible Picture always help.


Minor Update
Click here on the latest update on Red Sox's Spy Gate.

Side note: A ballplayer using a mouthguard as a listening device is moderately possible because of the constant evolution of technology.  However, would that person be perceived as insane for doing so? 

Questions That Smart Strategists Usually Ask When Assessing a Strategic Situation

(updated 09.06.17)

Following is an abridged list of questions for those who know how to recognize the tectonic specifics behind a complex strategic situation: 

• When assessing the complete configuration of the strategic situation, are the strategic components operating efficiently at 100% rate? 
• Based on the complete assessment of the strategic situation, do the conduit components currently exist?
• Based on the complete assessment of the strategic situation, where is the extreme opportunity scenario?
• Based on the complete assessment of the strategic situation, where is the strategic inflection position (SIP)?
• Based on the tactical qualities of those assessed components, is there a "most significant denominator" that could become a strategic multiplier?
• Based on the choice of the strategic multiplier, how scalable is it?
• Based on the choice of the strategic multiplier, how does the invariance factor of the current situation affects it?
• Based on the framework of the strategic multiplier, is it symmetrically enough to adjust to the criteria of the current strategic situation and/or to the criteria of the next strategic situation?
• Based on the choice of the strategic multiplier, does it possesses the strategic potential to influence other similar components to revolve around it?
• Based on the assessment of the situation, can the projected end-results become synchronized to other external strategic factors? 

These questions are for those operate with incomplete information.  

More to come

copyright 2017  Compass360 Consulting Group

Strategizing Beyond One's Gameboard: The Near Fall of Billy Walters

Updated at 06.09.2015

In the strategy game, we have always been interested in how certain strategists climb the ladder of success.

Billy Walters  
Click here and here on the general profile of Billy Walters. 

Analysis
To the sideline speculator, it was an act of "easy to over reach." 

This gentleman unconsciously went with his instinct. As most gamblers do, he has always lived on being one move ahead. ... Most strategies fail when the amateurs do not know how to anticipate the counter move by the other side. They usually get lucky against average competition who can't think 1/2 move ahead.

This gambler got "hot and ambitious."  Then he decided to play a different game that required a quite "different" perspective.

Click here and click here on what lead to his downfall.  

Mr. Walters choice of tactics were questionable at best. 

Lesson

Professional strategic achievement begins by understanding the strategic configuration of the situation and the tactics that are used by the competitors of the game board.  The choice of tactics establishes the gist of the strategic implementer's mindset.

Observing the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) From the Top View (A Perspective From Hui Shi) 2 of 2

(updated at 07.28.17, 1:11 am)

Following is a brief analysis of Hui Shi's guidelines for viewing the configuration of the Big Tangible Picture (aka. The 10 Theories. or the 10 Paradoxes):

"The largest thing has nothing beyond it; it is called the "One of Largeness." The smallest thing has nothing within it; it is called the "One of Smallness."

The largest object is always attached to the Big Tangible Picture because of its influential effect while the smallest object possessed no centrality. Its internal state is increased when it is attached to a similar object.

"That which has no thickness cannot be piled up; yet it is a thousand li in dimension." 
A well-configured object has no capability but has the prowess to expand because of its unique framework.

/// Note: Beside measuring the size of an object. the perceptive strategist immediately examines its connectivity and its centrality (in reference to time and space).  

#

"Heaven is as low as earth; mountains and marshes are on the same level." 
Whenever the cycle of the external factors is completely affecting the entirety of a strategic situation (the Big Tangible Picture), the time factor become relevant.  Simultaneously,  the strategic effect of each categorical terrain's obstacles could become quite pertinent..

"The sun at noon is the sun setting. The thing born is the thing dying."

There is a seasonal cycle, a rhythm and a flow in everything while there is a cause and an effect in the macro realm.  (Identify the strategic inflection point where a dichotomy occurs.) 

"Great similarities are different from little similarities; these are called the little similarities and differences. The ten thousand things are all similar and are all different; these are called the great similarities and differences."

Based on the configuration of the current situation, the perceptive strategist identifies the similar conditions and the different conditions of the different objects. Both the similarities and the dissimilarities  define the tangible configuration of the situation.

"The southern region has no limit and yet has a limit."  
Regardless of the projected capability of an relevant object,  this object has a finite coverage.

"I set off for Yueh today and came there yesterday."  
The grand time standard of a terrain-based situation occasionally changes the circumstances behind the the perceptive strategist's objective


Humorous translation: By recognizing that the true north of one's strategic situation and arriving at its "destination” (with minimal to zero damage), one could only then repeat that same ambition. 

"Linked rings can be separated." 
Through the identification of the connective sequence of the components that existed within the macro sequence of a system, the perceptive strategist immediately generates a new strategic  perspective.

"I know the center of the world: it is north of Yen and south of Yueh." 
Through the identification of the central point of an object or a situation, the perceptive strategist immediately pinpoints its prowess.

 "Let love embrace the ten thousand things; Heaven and earth are a single body." 

By pinpointing the singular conditional factor that synchronizes all of the objects (the focal catalyst/ the most common denominators), one identifies the possible matrix of connectivity for that strategic situation.

 

Comments From The Compass Desk

To improve or to enhance the actual output of an object (i.e., an event, an entity, a product, a service, etc.), one must first recognize the internal connectivity that operates within the targeted system

Pinpointing its system cycle, its contradictions, its unity points and the midpoint is the next macro step for establishing the possibility of creating a strategic difference.

Succeeding in the Info Economy: Assessing a Problem With the Phoenix Checklist

The Phoenix Checklist provides context-free questions that enable you to look at a problem from many different angles. Sometimes, problems aren’t as easy to understand as they may seem at face value—especially problems that are inherently multi-faceted. These questions will help you clear ambiguities and pinpoint the unknown unknowns associated with a problem.

 The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) developed this framework.

 The Phoenix Checklist is comprised of two components:

• A list of questions used to define problems
• A list of questions to define the plan to solve the problems

Here is the Phoenix Checklist in its entirety:

 THE PROBLEM

1. Why is it necessary to solve the problem?
2. What benefits will you receive by solving the problem?
3. What is the unknown?
4. What is it you don’t yet understand?
5. What is the information you have?
6. Is the information sufficient? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
7. Where are the boundaries of the problem?
8. What isn’t the problem?
9. Should you draw a diagram of the problem? A figure?
10. Can you separate the various parts of the problem? Can you write them down? What are the relationships of the parts of the problem? What are the constants of the problem?
11. Have you seen this problem before?
12. Have you seen this problem in a slightly different form? Do you know a related problem?
13. Try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown.
14. Suppose you find a problem related to yours that has already been solved. Can you use it? Can you use its method?
15. Can you restate your problem? How many different ways can you restate it? More general? More specific? Can the rules be changed?
16. What are the best, worst and most probable cases you can imagine?

# Side note: 
The Sunzi's Victory Temple method is one way to identifying the answers to those questions.

THE PLAN

1. Can you solve the whole problem? Part of the problem?
2. What would you like the resolution to be? Can you picture it?
3. How much of the unknown can you determine?
4. Can you derive something useful from the information you have?
5. Have you used all the information?
6. Have you taken into account all essential notions in the problem?
7. Can you separate the steps in the problem-solving process? Can you determine the correctness of each step?
8. What creative thinking techniques can you use to generate ideas? How many different techniques?
9. Can you see the result? How many different kinds of results can you see?
10. How many different ways have you tried to solve the problem?
11. What have others done?
12. Can you intuit the solution? Can you check the result?
13. What should be done? How should it be done?
14. Where should it be done?
15. When should it be done?
16. Who should do it?
17. What do you need to do at this time?
18. Who will be responsible for what?
19. Can you use this problem to solve some other problem?
20. What are the unique set of qualities that makes this problem what it is and none other?
21. What milestones can best mark your progress?
22. How will you know when you are successful?

# In addition to the Phoenix Checklist, here are some other questions to aid with the problem definition and solving process:

1. Are there other paths to the end I’m looking for? Write down the obvious way to get from where you are to where you want to go. Then ignore it. Come up with as many other paths as you can think of for getting there.
2. Can I change any of the variables? List all the variables you see (how much time it takes, who is involved, whether to do something yourself or hire someone to do it, etc.) and play with changing them. What effect could that have?
3. What information do I need? Sometimes problems exist because we don’t have enough information to solve them. Identifying what information you need and what information you’re missing gives you a starting point to change that.
4. How many solutions can I come up with? As you think of more solutions to a problem, you may increase the likelihood of thinking of one that is optimally effective.
5. How would ______ solve this? If there is someone who is known for solving things like this, ask yourself how they would solve it. What unique perspectives would that person have that would enable them to solve the problem?
6. How many problems am I encountering here? There are many situations where what seems like one problem is actually a variety of problems bundled together. When you are trying to solve more than one problem at any given time, you are making things far more difficult than they need to be. Instead, take the time to identify each individual problem that you are facing. Tackle one problem at a time and then move onto the next.
7. What seem to be your main obstacles to reaching the goal? Think of getting from where you are to where you want to go as a process flow. Map out a step-by-step ideal process flow of how you could get there. Then look at that process and identify the obstacles. Where are those obstacles?
8. How can I improve this process? Instead of looking at it from a problem perspective, look at it as a process improvement exercise. What steps and processes can you make easier and faster to perform? How would you accomplish this?
9. Who has done this before? If someone else has already invented the wheel, don’t bang your head bloody trying to create it again. Who else has been up against the problem you’re encountering? Can you talk to them? Read about how they approached it.
10. How could ____ relate to my problem? What are some concepts that you could associate with the challenge that would most likely produce useful connections and insights?

 Reference:

1. Michalko, M. (2006) Thinkertoys: A handbook of creative-thinking techniques (2nd edition). Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Thinkertoys-Handbook-Creative-Thinking-Techniques-2nd/dp/1580087736/ (Accessed: 12 February 2017).

Source: Idea genius




Click here for previous "Phoenix Checklist" posts.