The art of war and the art of management.

According to many historians, Sun Tzu wrote his classic essay, The Art of War, sometime during the period between 500 B.C. and 200 B.C. Since that time, his text has been translated into Japanese, French, English, Russian and Spanish, to mention just a few. It provides insights that can help one

In a recent translation by R.L. Wing, The Art of Strategy, published by Dolphin Books, a slightly different interpretation was placed on the Chinese character, bing, used by Tzu as war. The character can mean different things, in particular, the character can be interpreted, according to Wing, as war, military, tactic, combat, battle, maneuver, weapon, conflict, strategy and so on. It is the latter interpretation, strategy, that will generally be of greatest interest to managers, and it is that interpretation that is used in this article to outline how management obstacles may be overcome through strategy, as adopted from the writings of Sun Tzu.

Sun Tzu's text was written as 13 chapters or topics, and consists of less than 6,000 words. Each chapter deals with a specific step in overcoming obstacles, from the analysis to the attack or presentation. Because of its shortness, the text can be read in a matter of a few hours, but a manager may wish to absorb the material much more slowly, reading and re-reading sections to fully appreciate the concepts.

It was the belief of Sun Tzu that before one entered into a confrontational situation a complete analysis of the situation was required. In the management context, such analyses should focus on an individual's strengths and weaknesses, the goals of the organization and how they mesh with those of the company, the marketplace and society itself, as well as how the goals are viewed and supported by the members of the organization, and how the objectives match one's integrity. Sun Tzu also believed in the masking of one's intentions, so the element of surprise was in one's favor, once the analysis was complete. In Sun Tzu's words:

When complete, they appear to prepare. When forceful, they appear evasive. When angry, they appear to submit. When proud, they appear to be humble. When comfortable, they appear to toil. When attached, they appear separated. They attack when the opponent is unprepared. And appear where least expected.