The 36 Stratagems - An Ancient Collection of Chinese Wisdom

Keren Consultants – Strategy Formulation & Implementation tcranko@gmail.com
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The 36 Chinese Stratagems

Disclaimer
This is simply a presentation covering the “36 Stratagems” – it is not
a recommendation to use any or all of them, nor does it deal with the
ethics or legalities of their usage.
This document is a partial preview. Full document download can be found on Flevy:
http://flevy.com/browse/document/the-36-stratagems-an-ancient-collection-of-chinese-wisdom-2799

2. Stratagems 19 – 36
Stratagems Designed For Use When You Are At A
Disadvantage
2.1. Stratagems 19 – 24: Stratagems For When You Are
Confused Or To Confuse The Enemy
2.2. Stratagems 25 – 30: Stratagems For Gaining Ground
2.3. Stratagems 31 – 36: Stratagems For Desperate
Situations

Stratagem 1: Sneak Across the Ocean in Broad Daylight
Conceal your preparations by being completely open and public. Create a front
that eventually becomes imbued with an atmosphere or impression of
familiarity, within which the strategist may maneuver unseen while all eyes are
trained to see obvious familiarities.
This stratagem makes use of the human weakness that people eventually
become unaware of common everyday activities or events that keep repeating
themselves. When this happens, it is the best moment to carry out one’s
previously hidden true objective.

Stratagem 4: Wait at Ease for the Fatigued Enemy – Conserve your
Strength
You force others to expend energy while you preserve yours. You tire
opponents out by sending them on wild goose chases, or by making them
come to you from far away while you stand your ground. You choose the time
and place of battle – thus unlike your enemy you know when and where the
battle will take place.

1.2. Stratagems 7 – 12
Stratagems For Confrontation Or For Two
Equal Forces

Stratagem 9: Watch the Fire Burning From the Opposite Bank of the
River
Use delay tactics if your adversaries are experiencing internal troubles waiting
for them to weaken themselves; then go in at full strength.

Stratagem 12: Steal Any Passing Goat
While carrying out your plans be flexible enough to take advantage of any
opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit,
however slight.

Stratagem 14: Raise a Corpse From the Dead
You don’t use what everyone else is using, but what others aren’t using. This
can mean reviving something (a product, a technology, a department, a
method) that has dropped out of use (been discarded, forgotten, neglected)
giving it a new purpose or bringing to life old ideas and reinterpreting them to
fit your purposes. (Southwest Airlines grew by using old point-to-point
scheduling while big airlines were trapped in hub-and-spoke scheduling.)

Stratagem 17: Throw Out a Brick in Order to Gain a Gem
Bait someone by making him believe he gains something (“throw out a brick”)
and get something valuable from him in return (“gain a gem”). (Loss leader
pricing strategy in retail stores and chains; Gillette’s Razor / Blade strategy.)

2.1. Stratagems 19 – 24
Stratagems For When You Are Confused
Or To Confuse The Enemy

Stratagem 21: The Cicada Sheds its Golden Shell
The cicada sheds its shell intact so that the shell looks like a real cicada. This
means leaving behind false appearances created for strategic or tactical
purposes. This stratagem plays on the expectations of your opponent: If he
expects you to be in a certain place or supposes you will try a certain tactic,
you can create the illusion that you are where he expects you to be, but
meanwhile you can put your energies into your real plans. The façade remains
intact, but the real action is now elsewhere.

Stratagem 24: Negotiate a Route to Attack a Competitor (Borrow a
Route to Conquer Guo)
Borrow or negotiate the use of another party’s facilities or resources in order to
move against a mutual enemy. Once the enemy is defeated, use those
resources to turn on the ally that lent you them in the first place.

Stratagem 26: Point at the Mulberry Only to Curse the Locust
You criticize indirectly, getting your point across without confrontation.
This stratagem can also be interpreted as using scapegoats (“making an
example” of certain parties in order to intimidate or frighten others.

Stratagem 29: Put Fake Blossoms on the Tree
Putting fake blossoms on a dead gives the illusion that the tree is healthy.
Through the use of deceit and disguise, make something of no value appear
valuable; of no threat appear dangerous; of no use appear useful.

Stratagem 31: Scheme With Beauties – The Beauty (or Honey) Trap
This refers to using the charms of women to influence key figures in an
adversary organization.

Stratagem 34: Inflict Minor Injury on Oneself to Gain the Enemy’s Trust
Pretending to be injured has two possible applications: (1) The enemy is lulled
into relaxing his guard since he no longer considers you a threat; and (2) you
can win the confidence and sympathy of the enemy by looking like a victim of
your own people.

“When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away we must make him believe we are near.”
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike what is
weak.”
“If you know the enemy and yourself your
victory will not stand in doubt.”
“He who knows when he can fight and
when he cannot, will be victorious.”
“Opportunities multiply as the are seized.”
In Conclusion: Some Sun Tzu Quotations
“If your enemy forces are united, separate them.” (“Divide and Rule”)
“If your enemy is taking a rest, give him no rest.”

Credentials
• Novolog (Pharm-Up) - CEO: Restructuring the BU portfolio incl. M&A and PMI
(Post Merger Integration) - Pharm-Up acquired Novolog, Company closure (MD
Log), Entry into new activities leading to high growth
• Novartis - Israel Country Manager (OTC): Turnaround, Multi-category, multi-
brand and multi-sales channel strategy during period of de-regulation, high
growth
• Gillette - Israel General Manager: Portfolio included category leader (monopoly
status), as well as category follower (Duracell)
• Unilever - Sales Director and Country Manager: Lever Israel PMI, Customer
Management Strategy, Channel Strategy, KA Strategy, Category Strategy,
Turnaround, Entry into Palestine incl. Brand Strategy and Channel Strategy
• Osem-Nestle - Assistant Managing Director: JV’s in India, China, Romania, Czech
Republic
• Axiom ICF (Investment Bank) - Analyst
Keren Consultants – Strategy Formulation & Implementation tcranko@gmail.com

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The 36 Stratagems - An Ancient Collection of Chinese Wisdom

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The 36 Stratagems - An Ancient Collection of Chinese Wisdom