Think Inc.
A forum for Hawaii's
business community to discuss
current events and issues.
Sunday, January 27, 2002
Think Inc.
A forum for Hawaii's
business community to discuss
current events and issues.
Sunday, January 27, 2002
Capt. CEO
'Net assets for travelers
BY DAVE LOHMANN
Capt. CEO
Use military strategy to
annihilate the competitionWeek after week business books dominate the popular nonfiction best seller lists. Readers search for the golden nuggets of wisdom that will transform the messy and complicated corporate world into bumper sticker simplicity.
They have plenty to choose from as popular writers take common sense ideas from such sources as the Boy Scout and Girl Scout oaths and elaborate on them in cute and entertaining ways.
Sandboxes, kindergartens, alligators, sharks and mice mazes have all been used to convert simple ideas into gigantic commercial successes in the guise of significant business revelations.
Military strategy has not escaped this onslaught of popularization. Books with titles such as "Guerrilla Marketing" and "Corporate Combat" are examples.
Unfortunately, the wisdom of centuries of military strategy defies oversimplification. There is plenty of sound business advice in the classics of military strategy but getting at it requires years of study, time we cannot afford. Many of us will look at the current and anticipated achievements of the best military force in the world, our own, and both admire its successes and analyze them to find lessons we can apply to the challenges we face in business.
Our military leaders read the masters of strategy and apply their lessons. I can guarantee they do not read "How to Defeat the Terrorists in 30 Minutes or Less," "The Taliban Are Hiding My Cheese," or "Everything I Needed to Know About Afghanistan I Learned at the Sand Table."
So, in an attempt to make some great ideas available to you without oversimplification, here is a short cut to some of the lessons contained in two Asian classics, "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu (China, fourth century B.C.) and "A Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi (Japan, 1643-45).
>> Preparation
Tough, knurled wood is used for unseen support pillars. Wood with delicate patterns can delight the eye. Know the strengths of your people; deploy them accordingly.
Allow no weakness to go unheeded. Perform continuous corporate internal assessments. Make your weakness your strength.
Use chariots on the plains, infantry in the marshes. Have multiple strengths and apply them correctly.
Look to other worlds, (tea ceremonies, nature, mathematics) for insights. Myopia is bad. Read!
Know the ways of others and assess their contribution. Use, but don't defer to, the expertise of lawyers, accountants and other professional staff.
Prepare for the opponent's reaction. Develop plans with multiple courses of action based upon alternate scenarios.
>> Information
Study the opponent. Establish information collection systems. Think like the competition.
Truth requires a bodyguard of deception. Protect confidential and proprietary information.
Think big and small at the same time. Concurrently, maintain situational awareness of the industry while watching the details.
>> Initiation
Use surprise. Shorten the decision cycle and new product development to the point where the competition cannot keep up.
Be decisive. Supervise the aggressive execution of the plan.
Offense is preferable to defense. Take the initiative and keep the competition off guard. Avoid paralysis of analysis.
Concentrate your force. Insist on crystal clarity in what we are trying to achieve.
Attack weakness. Frontal assaults against a competitor's strength waste resources.
Practice simplicity. Give clear directions and do it decisively.
>> Engagement
Everything has a rhythm. Timing is as critical as having the right idea.
Maneuver quickly. Move assets to where they are most needed and do so rapidly.
The battlefield is confusion. Expect insufficient information on both your own and your competitor's actions, successes and failures. Plan for it.
Create loyalty and unity of effort. Make sure that everyone benefits from the victory.
Invoke a bored, careless, weak spirit among the enemy. It is better to win without awaking the competition or arousing their competitive and aggressive elements.
Maintain the good will of your countrymen. Reduce resistance and reluctance by staying in touch with the public will.
Dave Lohmann is a professor of management at Hawaii Pacific University. He can be reached at dlohmann@hpu.edu.
BY WENDY LAM
When traveling afar
for business, the Internet
can be your best assetTravel patterns have changed a lot during the past few months. Staying informed and knowing what to expect can help make our journeys more enjoyable. Below are a few tips from my favorite Web sites to help make your next trip more comfortable and convenient.
>> Seven-day weather forecast: To assist you with the planning of activities before the trip, AccuWeather (www.AccuWeather.com) delivers free 7-day weather forecasts and severe weather alerts directly to you via e-mail or fax. You can even specify when, how and what features to be included in your notification.
>> Flight paging services: When every minute counts, you can check with your airline's Web site to see if it offers automatic notification of flight status and gate information directly to your cell-phone, pager or email. Expedia also offers user-friendly flight information on 18 airlines at www.expedia.com.
>> Complimentary access to airport clubs: No matter how often you travel, it's great to know that some companies, such as Diners Club and American Express, offer their members free access to domestic and international airport lounges. For a complete listing of airport lounges offered by Diners Club, visit www.dinersclub.com. American Express Platinum members can either call 800-525-3355 or visit www.americanexpress.com/platinum for participating locations.
>> U.S. State Department travel advisories: The Bureau of Consular Affairs (travel.state.gov) has a complete list of the latest travel warnings, U.S. embassy, passport and visa information. You can also sign up for travel warnings via email. This site is packed with essential information for U.S. citizens traveling abroad.
>> Currency converter: A foreign exchange currency converter will become handy when you need to know the latest exchange rate or to file your reimbursement report upon returning from a trip. One such tool can be found at www.oanda.com. This comprehensive converter provides up-to-date exchange rate for 164 currencies and even includes a travel expense manager and a tipping guideline for travelers.
>> Automated check-in process: Several airlines -- such as United, American, US Airways, Continental and Delta, to name a few -- allow passengers with electronic tickets for domestic flights to check in at self service kiosk at selected airports. Services available at self-service check-in counters include obtaining boarding passes, making seat selections via a seat map, requesting upgrades, checking frequent flier credit and even checking baggage. Check with your airline's Web site for locations of self-service kiosks.
Having the right information can make your next trip more pleasant. Happy trails.
Wendy Lam is director of the Travel Industry Management Program at Hawaii Pacific University. She can be reached at wlam@hpu.edu.
To participate in the Think Inc. discussion, e-mail your comments to business@starbulletin.com; fax them to 529-4750; or mail them to Think Inc., Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Anonymous submissions will be discarded.