"TACTICS WITHOUT STRATEGY IS THE NOISE BEFORE DEFEAT" Sun Tzu
It is true that the destiny of a person or of a nation can change at any given time due to strange events where circumstances align to give a certain result, where without a doubt there is a random component and another derived from a group of actions called STRATEGY.
The strategy is "An Action Plan designed to achieve a Strategic Objective".
In terms of Strategic Thinking, "Strategy is the means by which Strategists try to bring order to a disordered environment."
A company or organization resembles battlefields, where chaos and disorder often prevail, where the winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both their own and external.
In other words, that manager, supervisor, teacher, statesman or anyone who holds a position where he manages the human factor, in order to eliminate chaos must bring order to the group of people for whom he is responsible, beginning by bringing order to their internal disorder (intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral).
When it comes to implementing a strategy, you have to keep in mind that there are random factors, which in terms of strategic thinking are called complementary strategies.
The ancient Chinese military theorist Sun Tzu made mention of complementary strategies in his book "The Art of War" when he emphasized the importance of a constantly evolving strategy.
He said "do not repeat the tactics that gave you a victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances", this means that when one tries to implement a strategy, a series of unforeseen circumstances arise for which, there are You have to adjust such a strategy and this adjustment is called a complementary strategy, which is very similar to the original, however, the tactics have been modified; You have to remember that a strategy is made of tactics.
From here derives a philosophical paradox that asks us: "is it man who makes history or is history what makes man?" In other words, "is it the strategist who shapes the world or is the world who shapes the strategist?"
Perhaps the answer is a symbiosis between these two points of view. Let's see the following case.
THE STRANGE CASE OF ALICIA MY HISTORY TEACHER AT THE FRENCH - HIDALGO HIDALGO
Strategy: "Never interrupt an enemy when he is making a mistake"
Napoléon
Tactic: "And less if she is a teacher"
Juan Carlos Erdozáin
Some time ago, while I was in high school, at Frances - Hidalgo School, I ran into our new History Teacher, who did not have much experience in teaching, however, I know that she tried her best to teach us History through learning model that consisted of memorizing names and dates.
One fine day she surprised us and she asked us for a History paper with a free theme.
I decided then to carry out a reflective work on a paradox of History that goes like this: Does History Make Man or Man Makes History?
This simple approach from a high school student (me), led me to be threatened during five sessions in front of all my classmates, that if I didn't retract what I said, I would not pass the History Class.
I will not bore you by telling you the answer to this paradox, what I will tell you is that in the end, Alicia, desperate and angry, told me that she was going to face me with her University Professor of Philosophy of History, something that never happened.
Finally, my teacher told me that she was not going to fail me in this subject and that I deserved a simple pass grade.
"What's the point of running if you're not on the right path"
german proverb
MY TEACHER ALICIA AND THE FOURTH WAVE OF CHANGE
Obviously Alicia did not know at that time (the 70's) and neither did I, about the Fourth Wave of Change that was already taking place in the United States, and that over time would change companies, organizations and educational institutions.
The arrival of the "Fourth Wave of Change" (Information and Knowledge Intensive), is changing our society and its institutions.
The Profits and Margins of the companies have been reduced, due to the high competition that exists because Information and Knowledge are available at any time, and, therefore, copying and repeating a product becomes relatively easy.
What is being lost sight of because of the great focus that has been given to technology, is that people are today's competitive vanguard; the information ensures that a replica of each competitive advantage is made except for the customer and supplier relationship (human relations).
The Knowledge Cycle begins with well-understood DATA that becomes INFORMATION, which well-understood produces KNOWLEDGE.
The challenge for the new educational system will be to help develop the skills of the students, so that they articulate the acquired knowledge and develop new knowledge that favors their environment and their own quality of life.
In other words, and as an example, remembering Alicia, my History Teacher, the VALUE THAT KNOWING HISTORY GENERATES is learning from the mistakes of the past so as not to make them again and learning trends and concepts that help us to be a better society.
LEARN TO LEARN
The demands of this society are not only for institutions, they are also for people capable of learning to learn.
Therefore, in organizations as in educational institutions, Mentors are required not bosses or Professors.
The fundamental objective is to inspire, stimulate and help collaborators and students to develop their Skills and Strengths, which will be their own Competitive Advantage that will have repercussions in the organizations and in the Society in which we live.
Knowledge must be articulated for practical application, which helps to improve the environment, as well as people's quality of life, and for this, efforts must be focused on Imagination, Creativity and Innovation, taking into account that innovation has three facets: incremental, disruptive and radical.
I know that Alicia (my History Teacher), tried to do the best she could at the time and that is very laudable, but today, we need Leaders represented by company directors, teachers, Academic directors, managers and parents, who Inspire and Motivate the creation of new knowledge and not the mere accumulation of information, since the Society we live in needs solutions through the Creation of Value.
TODAY'S CULTURAL TSUMAMI...HOW WILL WE SURVIVE?
HIGH-RISK CULTURE IS HERE AND SO IS THE FIFTH WAVE OF CHANGE, WORKING WITHOUT A SAFETY NET
We live in a new economy in which, at the organizational level, we have to deal with the reality of having to maintain and improve the current operation of organizations and at the same time design their future.
We know that 80% of organizational problems are generated by the Human Factor, therefore "fixing the human being" we will fix 80% of the problems of organizations and the world.
To achieve this, it is necessary to create the personal transformations that lead to success, and it is precisely the collaborators who will create the competitive advantages of the company that will guarantee its profitability, and therefore the future (for the collaborator and organization). will have more certainty.
We are living in Latin America "The Fourth Wave of Change" that was already being lived in the United States for 30 years, and that over time changed companies, organizations and educational institutions.
The arrival of the "Fourth Wave of Change" (Revolution of Intensive Information and Communication), is changing our society and its institutions.
The Profits and Margins of the companies have been reduced, due to the high competition that exists, since the Intensive Information and Communication are available at any time, and, therefore, copying and repeating a product becomes relatively easy.
We are still so immersed in the aforementioned fourth wave of change and in technology, that we have not realized that we already have "The Fifth Wave of Change" or "Intrapersonal Revolution", caused by the human factor, a revolution that comes "from the inside of people outward affecting their environment" (▶️Clic on Morrie Shechtman Creator of 5 Wave Leadership).
Due to the great focus that has been given to technology, we are losing sight of the fact that we are already immersed in a Tsunami in Latin America (from the 4th and 5th Wave of Change). Technology (also called the Digital Age) does not allow us to be aware that people are today's competitive vanguard; intensive information and communication allow products and services to be replicated and even competitive advantages; however, what cannot be copied is the customer-supplier relationship (human relations).
Sincerely,
Juan Carlos Erdozáin
