Session #5. Strategic Practices: The Many Ways of Employing Shih
From the ground of our discussion and insights about shih from Chapter Four, we will now explore specific strategic practices the Sun Tzu gives us for employing it. While employing shih is a broad, general description of how to be in our world, the Sun Tzu also describes very specific applications of it. Thus the text tells us that employing shih is not just waiting around for things to align themselves in our favor, but rather it is about the kind of action we can take to accept and fulfill our leadership role within our interdependent network. These strategic practices are about how we can bring about victory.
In chapter five we present six strategic practices from the Sun Tzu, three in depth and three in brief. Here we will focus our study on the three we treat in depth. Remember, like the text itself, each strategic practice is “fractal.” Since each contains the essence of all the others, once you understand one you have a gateway to understand the others. Therefore, as you read and contemplate these, please don’t struggle with the ones you don’t understand but go more deeply into the one(s) that you most resonate with.
1. As you read about and contemplate these strategic practices, please begin to form your own working definition of each of the six terms below. These working definitions should be short (one or sentences) and in plain, relevant language.
2. As we have done in our past two chapters, please contemplate the meaning of these strategic practices of shih in relation to your scenario. You may find some of the following questions helpful:
A. Extraordinary and Orthodox
What do those in your scenario expect of you? Have your actions fulfilled those expectations?
Have any actions—yours or others—gone beyond the expected?
If so, how did that work?
Where did the inspiration for this extraordinary action come from?
B. Forming, Transforming and Formlessness
In what ways have your actions formed and shaped your scenario? What was the impact?
In what ways or at what times did you NOT transform your actions in relation to your scenario?
Do you have any experience of “going beyond form?” How was that still an aspect of engaging?
C. Deception
In what ways has deception, in any form, played a helpful role in your scenario?
In what ways has “the truth” been an obstacle in your scenario?
In chapter five we present six strategic practices from the Sun Tzu, three in depth and three in brief. Here we will focus our study on the three we treat in depth. Remember, like the text itself, each strategic practice is “fractal.” Since each contains the essence of all the others, once you understand one you have a gateway to understand the others. Therefore, as you read and contemplate these, please don’t struggle with the ones you don’t understand but go more deeply into the one(s) that you most resonate with.
1. As you read about and contemplate these strategic practices, please begin to form your own working definition of each of the six terms below. These working definitions should be short (one or sentences) and in plain, relevant language.
2. As we have done in our past two chapters, please contemplate the meaning of these strategic practices of shih in relation to your scenario. You may find some of the following questions helpful:
A. Extraordinary and Orthodox
What do those in your scenario expect of you? Have your actions fulfilled those expectations?
Have any actions—yours or others—gone beyond the expected?
If so, how did that work?
Where did the inspiration for this extraordinary action come from?
B. Forming, Transforming and Formlessness
In what ways have your actions formed and shaped your scenario? What was the impact?
In what ways or at what times did you NOT transform your actions in relation to your scenario?
Do you have any experience of “going beyond form?” How was that still an aspect of engaging?
C. Deception
In what ways has deception, in any form, played a helpful role in your scenario?
In what ways has “the truth” been an obstacle in your scenario?
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