The Doctrine of the Mean, The Art of Management

Author: He Zheming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: "Everything is established through forethought; without forethought, it is doomed. If one determines beforehand how to speak, one will not stumble. If one determines beforehand how to act, one will not be in. If one determines beforehand how to proceed, one will not feel remorse. If one determines beforehand the path to take, one will not reach a dead end." — The Doctrine of the Mean
The Doctrine of the Mean is to use the middle as the means. In decision-making, one must not extremes; one must not take decisive actions merely for temporary victory or gain, but rather strive to remain invincible. The well-known story of Sun Bin helping Tian Ji in the horse race during the Warring States period reflects this wisdom. Sun Bin did not hope to win all three rounds but ensured two victories to secure the overall win. In the history of Chinese strategy, the widely prevalent three strategies—upper, middle, and lower—clearly reveal the characteristic of the Doctrine of the Mean: "establish invincibility before taking action to control the situation."
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms describes Liu Bei "destroying the letter in anger," causing Liu Zhang's envoy to flee back to Chengdu. To avoid "losing all previous efforts," Pang Tong proposed three strategies. Liu Bei asked, "What are the three strategies?" Pang Tong replied: "Select elite troops immediately and strike Chengdu day and night—this is the upper strategy. Yang Huai and Gao Pei are famous generals of Shu, each commanding strong forces to defend the passes. Now, if the lord feigns a return to Jingzhou, these two generals will surely come to escort him. Seize and kill them at the farewell spot, capture the passes, first take Fu City, and then advance toward Chengdu—this is the middle strategy. Retreat to Baidi, return to Jingzhou at night, and plan for future advances—this is the lower strategy. If one hesitates and does not leave, one will face great difficulties and be beyond rescue." Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "The strategist's upper strategy is too rushed, and the lower strategy is too slow. The middle strategy is neither too slow nor too rushed, and it can be carried out."
To propose a strategy is to prepare for decision-making. If one plans in advance for decision-making, one will not stumble. If one decides in advance for actions, one will not be in. If one arranges in advance for actions, one will not be disoriented. If one sets a goal in advance for the path, one will not reach a dead end. A famous entrepreneur once said, "Whenever I negotiate anything with anyone, at this time, in this place, and about this matter, I should say what words, and how the other party might respond, and how I should respond to them—countless questions. Before considering them carefully, I am willing to linger outside the door for several hours, or even go home to think for days, until I am certain, only then do I meet and negotiate with them."
Any successful person does not succeed at the moment of success but succeeds long before success through many hours and events. Confucianism holds that the person within is for the storage of knowledge and morality, while the person without is for the preparation of plans and strength. To govern a great enterprise like a nation, one must take these as fundamental principles. The Book of Songs—You Feng—The Crow and the Fish Owl—says: "Before the rain falls, repair the mulberry houses and fix the windows. The common people now dare not humiliate them." When Confucius commented on this poem, he said, "The person who wrote this knows? Who would dare to humiliate them if they could govern this country? A person must humiliate himself before others can humiliate him. A country must have internal conflicts before it can be attacked by foreign powers. With preparation, one is not afraid of calamity."
Wu Liezi also said in his Twelve Tombs: "Power lies in constancy, advantage lies in timing, opportunity lies in handling matters, battles lie in boosting morale, and there is no difficulty when one is prepared."
Decision-making