Sun Tzu said: Managing a large force can be similar to managing a small force. It is a question of organization and structure. Commanding and controlling a large force can be similar to commanding and controlling a small force. It is a matter of communication and training.

– Chapter Five, Sun Tzu’s Art of War

In these lines, Sun Tzu talks about how to use a large force as a small force. It is determined by the following factor and they are:

1) Structure of the organization

2) Communications

3) Training

Now we all know that a large force has strength in numbers and when moving in groups, they can overcome many challenges, but a fatal characteristic of a large force in my opinion is agility. You cannot move fast because the command from one point will take a long time to travel to the important and critical places of the force. This makes a large force less agile than a small force, and we all know that speed is of the essence in both war and business. So how do we apply the above knowledge to business? Let’s take a look.

business application

organization structure

How is your company structured? How many departments are there? In each department, how many people are there? Who is in charge of each department? How many levels are there between the department head and the lowest level? What information flows to which department? Critical information has to flow through how many levels in the hierarchy before it can take place? These are some of the questions to consider when reviewing your organization’s structure.

You should also decide if you need to establish new departments for certain functions. This is because with every new addition to your organization, you run the risk of confusion, if the scope of duty is not clearly defined.

Communication

The next important aspect is communication. As I mentioned in my other article, you need to have a flow of information to the relevant departments and critical personnel. But there is one particular way that it could impede information flows, and that is human error. For example, sending an email to the wrong addresses, forgetting to call, and losing certain attachments when sending the email. To err is human, those things are inevitable. A checklist would be helpful here.

One thing to keep in mind here is that your organization may need to cultivate a structure such that employees who take the right initiatives are rewarded. Otherwise, who would want to take one if it doesn’t reward them for the correct action implemented, but instead punishes them when they took the wrong action?

Training

Now, in those days, when Sun Tzu was writing the book, formations would refer to how cavalry, infantry, and chariots are organized and positioned on the battlefield. So he would wonder, what is ‘training’ in the business world? It would mean what are the people or departments involved in certain projects. Are people with complementary and relevant skill sets on this team? Could a fair amount of conflict be generated in order to devise a good strategy? It all comes down to how you piece your employees together, like puzzle pieces, and create the best image you’ve ever seen.