The content of "momentum" in Sun Tzu's Art of War and the momentum building in today's economy are:
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is known as "the first military book in ancient times in the world" and "the holy book of military science" " has attracted increasing attention from business leaders, and Japanese entrepreneurs have taken the lead in applying Sun Tzu's ideas to business management, which is a great move.
1. "Choose people and follow the situation"
Sun Tzu said in "Position": "Therefore, those who are good at fighting seek for the situation and do not blame others, so they can "Choose people and use them according to the situation." This sentence means that a general who is good at commanding and fighting should focus on relying on, utilizing, grasping and creating situations that are conducive to his victory, rather than being demanding on his generals. , so he can start from the development and changes of the overall situation and select talents suitable for taking on important responsibilities, so that he can take the initiative to determine the overall victory. This is a highly incisive summary and discussion of the art of leadership by Sun Tzu. A thorough understanding of Sun Tzu's thought of "choosing people and following their power" contains rich and profound connotations and lessons for today's business leaders and entrepreneurs.
The "situation" mentioned by Sun Tzu refers to the military "battle situation" formed by one party launching a military challenge or attack on the other party, which confronts two or more parties. Apply it to business operations, a major business strategic action decision planned by the company or a certain competitive situation (such as technological progress, new product development, marketing planning, etc.) displayed by operators in market competition, which will Various "business trends" are formed that operators face. But whether it is "war situation" or "business situation", there is a problem of "seeking the situation". According to Sun Tzu's thinking, the fundamental starting point for seeking momentum is "taking momentum", that is, making full use of the development and changes of the situation to create momentum and achieve the strategic goal of defeating the enemy. This can be seen from other discussions in "Position" see. To be able to "take advantage of the situation", you must first "know the situation". The so-called "knowing the situation" has two levels of connotation. On the one hand, it is to have the vision and ability to make judgments in advance of the development and trend changes of the situation; on the other hand, it is to know whether one has the conditions and strength to take advantage of the situation ( The main thing is whether we have core talents who can be appointed and take on important responsibilities), we must have a clear understanding. If you cannot "know the potential", it will be difficult to "take it from the potential". Therefore, "knowing the potential" is the prerequisite for "seeking the potential". Because of this, the world calls those who understand current affairs as outstanding talents. However, although a commander has the strategic foresight to "know the situation" and has talents around him who can take on important tasks, he cannot make full use of them, and will eventually fall into a disastrous situation of "losing power".
After Sun and Liu united to defeat Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang predicted that Cao Cao would be defeated and take Huarong Road. Who is sent to take charge of this road is of great importance. Because Zhuge Liang considered the overall situation, if he killed Cao Cao at this time, the situation would be even more chaotic and difficult to deal with, which would not be conducive to the realization of the strategic policy of "three parts of the world", so he set the strategic intention of "catch and release", but It can't be said clearly. Guan Yu is a hero of "loyalty and righteousness". Zhuge Liang sent him to guard the pass, and he had the effect of "killing two birds with one stone". If he were replaced by Zhang Fei, it would ruin things. It can be seen from this that those who are good at selecting people and taking advantage of the situation can create momentum-creating the current situation that determines the future overall strategy. In 215 AD, Sun Quan led his troops to attack Cao Cao, and Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao, Le Jin, and Li Dian to defend Hefei to compete with him. Cao's garrison only had more than 7,000 people, while Wu's army numbered 100,000. However, Zhang Liao and others relied on Cao Cao's instructions: "If Sun Quan comes, Generals Zhang and Li will go out to fight, and General Le will protect the army and do not fight." They gained the opportunity to counter the siege. The secret to victory is that Cao Cao is good at using people. According to "Three Kingdoms" records: Zhang Liao was "excellent in military force", Li Dian was "heroic", good at fighting with others, and "did not fight with the generals"; while Le Jin, although "short in appearance", was courageous, and he Together with Zhang Liao and Li Dian, "Control the divisions and brigade, pacify the masses and unite them, follow the orders without committing any offense, serve as the enemy's decisive force, and make no mistakes." Cao Cao assigned tasks to them based on their respective strengths, deciding who should go into battle and who should defend the city. Reasonable arrangements were made. Therefore, with such a huge disparity in strength, Cao Jun's defenders were not only able to make Hefei impregnable, but also achieved victory against the siege. The core idea reflected in the two battle cases is to know people well and appoint them appropriately, follow their talents and make appointments at the right time.
2. "Order with literature, and unite with force."
"Sun Tzu Marching Chapter" said: "So order with literature, and unite with force. This is the saying It must be taken. If you teach the people by doing things well, then the people will obey; if you don’t do things well, you will teach the people, and the people will not obey.” The meaning of this sentence is that we must use "literary" methods, that is, political and moral education, and "martial" methods, that is, military discipline, to unify the pace. Such an army will definitely win in a war. If you can conscientiously carry out orders and educate your soldiers, your soldiers will develop the habit of obedience; if you do not conscientiously implement your orders and educate your soldiers, your soldiers will develop the habit of disobedience. Orders can always be implemented conscientiously because the general and soldiers have mutual trust. "Order with words, and unite with force" embodies Sun Tzu's thought and principle of running an army by applying both civil and military skills and emphasizing both virtue and prestige. This idea and principle is also applicable to the management of enterprises. The "literary" and "martial" methods mentioned by Sun Tzu are the "hard" and "flexible" management of today's enterprises. Business management is a process, a process in which managers exert influence and control on the managed. Management is also an art. The essential object that determines this process and art is people, and the core is people.
The management and coordination of people can be carried out by rigid (hard) management through means such as institutional restraints, disciplinary supervision, punishment, and coercion, or flexible (soft) management by means of inspiration, inspiration, inducement and incentives, rewards and punishments, etc. The key to scientific management lies in its accuracy and standardization, that is, changing laissez-faire management into standardized management, and relying on rules, regulations, laws and organizational powers to carry out stylized and orderly management. What it emphasizes is the strategy, system, structure and other hardware of organizational management, which is hard management. Soft management is humanized and personalized management based on employees' thoughts, the organization's unique values, and cultural and spiritual atmosphere.
Third, strengthen education and unify thinking. Soft management work emphasizes the cultivation and shaping of organizational values. By constructing a suitable and good organizational climate, advanced ideas and positive attitudes can be created, which requires strengthening ideological education. Sun Tzu said, "Which of the soldiers is stronger?" "Teaching and precepting comes first", "If a scholar does not teach first, he will not use it." Sun Tzu's thought of "teaching and precepting first" also has important strategic significance in today's business management. Corporate leaders with strategic vision from abroad all place employee education, especially political and ideological education, at the top of corporate development, with the aim of cultivating a high-quality and competitive workforce. In this regard, Japanese entrepreneurs’ views on educating people are advanced.
Shinichiro Ishii, Director of the Machinery Department of Nippon Electric Corporation, once said: "It is not enough to sow seeds without nurturing them. If you want them to grow strong, you must provide them with spiritual food." Ichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's largest motorcycle manufacturer, said it particularly profoundly: "Thoughts dominate the world more than money, and good thoughts can generate money. The motto of contemporary people should be: Thoughts are more powerful than money." 1991 On October 1, 2016, "Newspaper Digest" published an article entitled "The conditions for a joint venture between Matsushita Konosuke and me a year ago - Japan's "technical know-how" plus the leadership know-how of the Communist Party", published by the President of the China Enterprise Management Association Comrade Yuan Baohua's article said: "The old man took out one of his bills and said: 'I want to enter into a joint venture with China. Japan's" Sun Tzu's "Chinese" and "Martial Arts" principles - that is, Soft management and hard management of enterprise management are different from each other, but they also penetrate each other, influence each other, and complement each other. Hard management is the support and foundation of soft management, and it often has a decisive influence on the implementation of soft management. Without the support of management, soft management is difficult to achieve the desired results. Soft management is the "guide", "lubricant" and "catalyst" of hard management, and can play an irreplaceable role in hard management. Only by realizing both. Only the combination of civil and military, soft and hard can win and achieve the best results. "Sun Tzu: Terrain Chapter" points out that "thickness cannot be used, love cannot be commanded, chaos cannot be controlled, and it is like a arrogant man who cannot be used." "This means that if the soldiers are overly cared for and cannot be used, if the soldiers are pampered but cannot be commanded, and if discipline is violated but cannot be dealt with seriously, such an army will be like a "proud man" and cannot be used for fighting. At this time, Generals and commanders must know the law and review orders, and use discipline to unify and manage the troops so that the soldiers can "use", "order", "govern" and "use"
3. "He who has the same desires above and below wins"
"Sun Tzu: Planning and Attack Chapter" said: There are five ways to know victory, one of which is "He who has the same desires above and below wins." "That is to say, if the officers and soldiers are of one mind and the top and bottom work together, they can win the war. This is the most fundamental condition for determining the outcome of the war according to the analysis proposed by Sun Tzu. So, how can we make the top and bottom have the same desire? Sun Tzu said in " It is pointed out in "Ji Pian": "The Tao makes the people agree with the superiors, so they can die with them and live with them without fear of danger. "That is to say, a Taoist king can make the people consistent with his wishes. In this way, in war, the people can live and die for the king without fear of danger. Here, the "Tao" proposed by Sun Tzu makes the superiors and subordinates share the same desires. The most fundamental and important factor. Sun Tzu preached in the same article: "The classics are based on five things--referring to the Tao, heaven (natural timing and social timing), earth (geographical situation and transportation advantages and disadvantages), and generals. The possibility of winning or losing the war is analyzed and studied from five aspects (selection of generals) and law (organizational system, establishment of the army and national legal system), that is, "Tao" is listed first. It can be seen from this that the importance of "Tao" in governing the country, the people, the army and the industry also illustrates the significance of effective commanders and leaders attaching importance to "Tao".