The Mind of the Strategist:: Knowing The Questions

These five factors are the way to know who will win.

Therefore I say:
One who knows the enemy and knows himself
will not be in danger in a hundred battles.
One who does not know the enemy but knows himself
will sometimes win, sometimes lose.
One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself
will be in danger in every battle.

- Sun Tzu: Chapter Three—Planning an Offensive Attack

My previous article on Sun Tzu focused on his fundamental framework of strategic preparation, planning, and deployment. As a habit, I would usually pick up this book once every other season and begin reading it. As I reinterpreted the book, I would become fascinated with how its principles are so timeless and true. Whenever I read this book, I think of the word "pragmatic" and how it is universally applicable to any situation that requires absolute victory.

One lesson I learned from my reading of Sun Tzu regarding defeating an opponent is that you must know your opponent through various stages of analysis and calculations. The first step of analyzing the opposition is in asking the correct questions regarding the situation at hand.

The greatest victory is conquering one's self

Before you can conquer the opposition, you must first conquer yourself. This can be done through the process of self-questioning. Self-questioning creates the sense of self-awareness where you can read and recognize the possibilities and potential of each scenario. At the same time, you learn how to avoid potential disasters.

This article will briefly focus on some of those questions. (It will be presumed that you are the general of your army and that your mission requires a strong and disciplined mind.)

Understanding the Process of "Top-level" Planning

• What is your approach to planning?
• Do you (and/or your management team) possess the will to prepare?
• Do you know where to focus?
• Do you have what it takes to develop and deploy a plan?
• Do you like to compete directly or indirectly?

Chapter One to Three

• Do you know the Way of the Game?
• Do you have the ability to develop and analyze calculations?
• Have you gained Heaven and Ground?
• Can you deploy the law and commands of your organization and your army?
• Which army is strong?
• Which officers and soldiers are trained?
• Which reward and punish clearly?

If you can answer the last five questions, you will know victory and defeat.

• Do you have the capability to deploy the calculations in action?
• In a deployment situation, do you have the advantage? If you do not have the advantage, are you confused? Or strong, angry, humble, relaxed, or united?
• Where are you and the opposition not prepared?
• Are you and your opposition prepared for a wide range of contingencies?

Chapter Two: Doing Battle

• When doing battle, will you and your field generals seek a quick victory?
• Will your general be wise enough to strive by feeding off the energy of your opposition?
• If you understand warfare, are you wise enough to know that your field general is the guardian of your organization and the director of your organization's future?

Chapter Three: Planning Attacks

When planning an attack, ask yourself this question, "What is my favorite way to attack?"

The following is a list of typical attacks:

• The enemy's plans
• The alliances of their enemy
• The army
• The opposition's base of operations
• Do you know the price to pay when deploying each of the above approaches?
• Can you control your temper during the heat of the battle?

Understanding the Process of "Field-level" Planning

• Are you responsive or reactive in your preparation and performance?
• Do you know how to build momentum into your deployment?
• Do you know how to use momentum and timing in your tactical game plan?
• Do you know how to identify and create proper strategic and tactical match ups in your preparation process?

Chapter Four: Formation

• Do you know the conditions that must be obtained for victory before seeking battle?
• Do you usually seek to do battle before obtaining the conditions for victory?
• As a leader, do you know how to assess strategic and tactical situations? How do you quantify your assessments? How do you calculate from your quantifications? How do you compare the differences and distinctions within the calculations? And how can you execute victory from those comparisons?

Chapter Five: Force

• In battle, do you use direct methods to engage the enemy and indirect methods to gain victory?
• In battle, do you understand the usage of momentum and timing to gain victory?
• In battle, do you understand the principle of creating tactical mismatches?

Chapter Six: Weakness and Strength

• Do you have the capability to arrive at the battlefield first with ease?
• Can you and your team move through the battlefield with no form or sound?
• Do you and your army have the capability to achieve an advance that cannot be hampered and a withdrawal that cannot be pursued?
• Can you and your army take up a position where you are formless?
• Can you and your army adapt and change in accord with the enemy and achieve victory?

Understanding Your Ability to Think and Deploy Battlefield Strategies

• Do you know how to tactically deploy and shift your resources before and during the combat?
• Can you adapt to the realities of battle?
• Do you and your team know how to lead your team through the challenge of the mission?

Chapter Seven: Armed Struggle

• Can you and your field generals adapt to changes?
• Do you and your field generals understand the principles of warfare listed in chapter seven?

Chapter Eight: Nine Changes

• Do you know the principles of warfare regarding what routes not to take; what armies not to attack; what walled cities not to besiege; what grounds not to penetrate; and which commands not to obey?
• Do you understand the advantages of the Nine Changes that will allow you how to use the troops?
• Do you know when to contemplate both the advantages and disadvantages of each situation?
• Do you know the principles of warfare regarding to the Nine Changes?
• Do you know the five dangerous traits that can destroy the army?

Chapter Nine: Army Maneuvers

• Do you know how to position the army in favorable grounds and to be able to observe the enemy at the same time?
• Do you know the four positions that are advantageous to your army?
• Do you know which grounds with impassable ravines should be avoided?
• Do you know when and how to confront the opposition in the battlefield?
• Do you know the various direct and indirect traps found in the battlefield?

Understanding Your Capability to Manage Yourself and Your Army Within the Battlefield

• Do you know the different physical obstacles that you could encounter in the battlefield and how to adapt, adjust, and surmount over those obstacles?
• Do you know what type of influences you have mastered and possessed for combat?
• Do you know how to gather intelligence?

Chapter Ten: Ground Formation

• Do you know what terrains can be advantageous and disadvantageous to you?
• Do you know the Sun Tzu's "Six Ways of Ground (situations)" that are listed in Chapter 10?

"Do you know the Six Ways of Defeat? If you know the enemy and know yourself, the victory is not at risk. If you know the Heaven and you know the Ground, the victory is complete."

- Sun Tzu: Chapter Ten—Terrain

Chapter Eleven: Nine Grounds

• Do you and your field generals understand the basic Nine Grounds that can be seen in warfare?
• Are you willing to fight at your own ground?
• Do you know the differences of the Nine Grounds in how they will affect your mission?

Chapter Twelve: Fire Attacks

• Do you know the five types of fire attacks that are used in the game of war?
• Do you know when, what, and how to use those fire attacks?
• Do you know the five changes of fire?
• Do you know how to combine fire and water in your attacks?
• Do you know the "waste-and-delay" factor in when incorrectly attacking the opposition?

Chapter Thirteen: Using Spies

• Do you know the importance of securing intelligence on the opposition?
• Do you know the five different ways of securing intelligence on the opposition?
• Are you wise enough to use direct and indirect ways to secure intelligence on the opposition?
• Are you wise enough to understand how the opposition can use direct and indirect ways to secure intelligence on you and your army?

Summary

Many years ago, I asked an old Taoist scholar about how to develop a strategy to be in harmony with the Tao. His response was "Know the question first. You will be in harmony with the Tao. Know the answer first, you will lose touch with the Tao."

Suddenly, I became enlightened to his reply. He took a slow breath and continued his speech, "… Knowing the correct question for that moment is more important than anything else. … Anything can be the answer.

My perspective on achieving a "Sun Tzu" model of total victory is to know yourself, your opposition, and the game (Heaven and Ground).

"To be the victorious general of one's army, return to your library and quietly read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' again and again."

Anonymous Chinese Chess Player

This article barely touches on the many additional questions that you must ask before you can have an adequate understanding of a potential victory. Further discussion on strategic questioning will be covered in a future entry.