Business is warfare. Western business has been inculcated in the belief that business is about win/win solutions. However, in today's global marketplace there isn't fairness - there are winners and losers.
Today's competitive terrain calls for new tactics as well as an understanding of how your opponents approach the world.Using ancient Eastern philosophy and military tactics from "The 36 Stratagems",
"Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile" shows how to create unpredictable corporate strategies.
Today’s global economy is a battleground. To survive and thrive, you’ll need every weapon you can get. Microsoft, Sony, and Starbucks use business practices based on the ancient Chinese military text The Thirty-Six Stratagems – now you can, too.
Weaving the story of each strategy with contemporary case studies from top business and strategic management schools, each chapter analyses a company's situation, options, decisions and results.The book is divided into four parts: Polarity - explores the balance of opposing forces; Yielding - illustrates alternatives to confrontations; Continuous Change - shows how to thrive in fluid situations; and, Indirect Action - proposes alternatives to head-on conflict."Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile" is a timely and timeless resource for executives and corporate strategists looking to win their most contentious battles.
Evil intentions are hidden by outward friendliness, fine words, and courteousness.
Stratagem of two tongues; Janus-head stratagem.
The “smile” can consist of a pretended honesty and false sympathy, by means of which one activates true honesty and true sympathy in the opposing party, in order to profit thereby.
Charm offensives and destruction can occur in succession. However, one can only deal in this way with an opponent with whom the differences are not too great, and who likes to be “stroked”. Faced with a brutal opponent, whose head cannot be turned, this stratagem will quickly fizzle out.
With regard to business life, a distinction can be drawn between two constructive applications of this stratagem. The first is related to PR activities in particular, and is to be understood in the weakened sense of “Conceal true intentions behind a smile” (Yao, p. 78). The second is related, for example, to negotiations, and involves being friendly and soft in outward appearance, but uncompromising and hard in inner resolve. This corresponds to the Latin saying Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re (“Gently in manner, but unyielding in matter”).
Stratagem radius
In about 1763, during the French and Indian War, on the instructions of the British commanding officer Jeffrey Amherst, blankets contaminated with smallpox were distributed to Indians (Die Zeit, January 24, 2002,).
In the first years of his presidency, François Mitterrand succeeded in almost suffocating a once mighty French Communist Party by means of an intensive hug (WW, January 11, 1996).
In email messages, computer viruses are distributed under names such as “I love you” .
Stratagem prevention
A long time ago, Confucius warned, “Soft words and ingratiating expressions are rarely paired together with humanity.” One should react with caution to statements of friendliness from an unknown person, and even more so when they come from an opponent. You should be careful of attractive things whose origins are opaque.
Beware of flatterers!
Stratagem risk
If the “smile” appears artificial, it can be counterproductive and awake mistrust. The “dagger” is then not fully hidden (Yu 1993, pp. 86–7). If you use stratagem 10 against a merciless opponent, you run the risk of finding yourself ranked even lower in this person’s estimation, and of provoking them to even harsher measures.
Example
The enthusiastic reception
On account of an important piece of business, the general manager
(A) of a French company flew personally to Japan, in order to be Concealment stratagems 55present at the negotiations at the highest level. The flight lasted 13 hours. Shortly before arrival in Japan, the exhausted A said to his companions that what he needed after landing was a refreshing shower and some reinvigorating sleep: “We won’t go anywhere other than straight to the hotel.” However, he had hardly left the gangway of the aircraft when he was met by a smartly dressed young man.
With overflowing politeness, the latter said that the general manager
(B) of the Japanese company had organized an evening banquet to welcome the foreign guests. He was waiting impatiently for the arrival of the delegation. With these words, the young Japanese man bowed again another time. His effusive friendliness ruled out any kind of negative reaction. Thus, there remained nothing else for A and his companions to do than to make their way to the banquet.
Food and drink were provided in abundance, and the friendliness of the Japanese host exceeded all expectations. A was soon no longer able to count how many Japanese had already drunk his health, and how often his glass had been refilled with alcohol. Indeed, he had a very pleasant evening. Only late into the night did he arrive at his hotel. Very early on the next morning, there was a knock at his door.
A messenger informed him that the Japanese negotiating delegation had already been waiting a long time for him. A washed quickly and hurried to the site where the negotiations were to take place. The Japanese were all fresh and fully rested, whereas he and his companions were still half-dazed from the previous night. Small wonder that he came off second best in the subsequent negotiations.
In the extremely friendly reception of the Japanese, the hidden intention was to trip him up (Yu 1993, p. 91; Yao, pp. 79–80).
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