Chapter 9 Workforce Maneuverings- Sufficient and Efficient

“39. If the enemy’s troops march up angrily and remain facing ours for a long time without either joining battle or taking themselves off again, the situation is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.
40. If our troops are no more in number than the enemy, that is amply sufficient; it only means that no direct attack can be made. What we can do is simply to concentrate all our available strength, keep a close watch on the enemy, and obtain reinforcements.
41. He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
42. If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be useless.
43. Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.
44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad.
45. If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.”
Sun Tzu, Master Sun
Art of War
Quoted in The Art of War, Translated by Lionel Giles, Offered by The Project Gutenberg eBook

a surveillance camera

Beware if the enemy is watchful
They are waiting for that crucial signal

Workforce that matches the enemy is quite sufficient
Watch the enemy while concentrating and reinforcing is most efficient

You will lose if you take the enemy lightly
Winning involves reading and studying the enemy

People who are punished without being grown attached to you will not be submissive
Punishments that are not enforced even when attached make the workforce useless

Discipline and treat the workforce well
Only way they will excel

Enforce commands
Organization expands

One Trackback

  1. By Boink Blogs on November 6, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    [...] of War for Business: Chapter 9 Workforce Maneuverings- Watch … David Kam added an interesting post today on Art of War for Business: Chapter 9 Workforce Maneuverings- Watch [...]

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*