[Week 9] Looking Back / Moving Forward

Here are Sun Tzu’s closing words to Chapter One.

夫未戰而廟算勝者，得算多也；未戰而廟算不勝者，得算少也；多算勝，少算不勝，而況於無算乎？吾以此觀之，勝負見矣。

Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

Here’s what we have planned for the Sun Tzu Reading Project here at Drawing Legs on a Snake:

• We have made the resources for Chapter One public. We are working on resources for the later chapters, and we will make these available to subscribers.

• We intend to offer more workshops, and if enough interest develops, we will put together a printed guidebook and resource kit, and look for a commercial publisher to take it on.

• Our e-mails will come out roughly once every 3-4 months. They will be mostly updates on the project itself, along with some occasional writing on how The Art of War can be applied.

If you have reached this point and now want to start your own Sun Tzu Reading Project, most of what you need to know is in our guide.

A few quick thoughts (we’ll be revising the guide to include them).

Your Sun Tzu Reading Project does not need to have an online presence. The work inevitably falls to one or two enthusiasts. Some of us actually enjoy doing this, since writing helps us organize our thoughts. But if this is not your thing, don’t do it.

AI note-taking is now quite common. However, we have learned over the years that most people never read minutes. As a result, they almost never get corrected, so you’re likely to end up with a written record of things that people never actually said.

If you work in an industry where lawsuits are common and internal communications are subject to pre-trial discovery, you may not want to have the group’s minutes placed on litigation hold, especially if they’re laced with AI hallucinations. Look for a Career Limiting Move that you can get more enjoyment out of. Minutes that have never been taken can never be subpoenaed.

For meeting times, just try to get the greatest good for the greatest number and stick with it as long as you can. People’s schedules always change. A good facilitator can always get people caught up.

Spread the responsibility. Encourage more people to take the facilitator’s role. Leading a strategy discussion is a skill that many managers (and future managers) need to learn.

If you start a reading group, we’d love to hear from you.