There is a good saying: "People who spend a second to see through the essence of things, and those who spend a lifetime not seeing clearly, are destined to have completely different fates." "So how can you make yourself a person who is insightful? And not deceived by people with ulterior motives? It's important to improve your strategy analysis skills! The author has studied many biographies and writings of strategists, and believes that the powerful abilities of strategists are not innate, and many of them are deliberately cultivated. So, how can you really improve your strategy analysis skills? The following four basic skills, even the most powerful person, need to be trained every day.
1. Analyze the pitfalls
As the saying goes, "Be careful to sail the ship of ten thousand years!" "All kinds of traps are like beasts hidden in the shadows, and if we are not careful, they can devour us. For strategists, if you want to be able to have the last laugh, avoiding traps is the most routine operation. Therefore, researching the traps is a key measure to avoid falling into the trap.
First of all, we need to learn to identify common types of traps, such as profit temptation traps, information misleading traps, emotional manipulation traps, etc. Through an in-depth analysis of these traps, understand the operating mechanisms and inducing factors behind them.
In everyday life, be perceptive and alert to seemingly good opportunities. Don't blindly follow the trend and don't easily believe unverified information. Analyze the motivations of others and consider whether there may be pitfalls. At the same time, it is important to constantly learn from the traps that you and others have fallen into, and use them as valuable knowledge assets so that you can react quickly when you encounter similar situations in the future.
For example, in a business negotiation, the other party may deliberately set some seemingly favorable conditions, but in fact there are hidden traps. By carefully analyzing the purpose behind these conditions and the possible consequences, we can avoid being fooled by superficial appearances and make informed decisions. In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it is precisely because Zhuge Liang identified the trap of "beauty plan" laid by Zhou Yu in advance that he was able to take effective countermeasures. By hyping up the incident of Liu Bei's marriage, he won over Qiao Guolao and attracted Wu Guotai's attention, thus promoting "fake drama and real doing", and finally made Dongwu "lose his wife and lose his soldiers".
II. Analytical Profits
Sima Qian said: "The world is bustling, and it is all for profit." The world is crowded, all for profit. "Interests are an important factor in promoting the functioning of society, and analyzing the flow of interests can help us understand the changes in patterns and forces. In any situation, especially in the workplace and in the business world, there are a variety of interests, both explicit and implicit. We need to learn to sort out these interests and clarify the interests and conflicts of interest of all parties.
Through in-depth analysis of the flow of interests, we can predict the actions and decisions of all parties, so as to better formulate our own gaming strategy. In addition to this, we also need to pay attention to the short- and long-term changes in interests, as well as the interaction between different interests. At the same time, we also need to learn to find a balance in the complex pattern of interests to maximize our own interests.
For example, in teamwork, each member has their own interests. By analyzing these interests and finding common goals and interests, we can promote team harmony and collaboration and improve work efficiency. In the fields of business and society, accurate analysis of interests is crucial, which determines the distribution of resources and the attribution of power.
3. Analyze the characters
Just as a chess player holds a chess piece, we need to study the various characters around us. Each person has their own unique personality, motivations, values, and behavior patterns. An in-depth analysis of the people around us can help us better understand their thoughts and behaviors so that we can navigate them.
We need to observe the words and actions of the characters to understand their preferences, weaknesses and strengths. Through various opportunities to interact with them, analyze their reactions in different situations. At the same time, learn to think from the perspective of others so that you can better communicate and cooperate with them.
In interpersonal communication, an accurate analysis of characters allows us to build good interpersonal relationships and avoid unnecessary conflicts. For our partners, we analyze their capabilities and reliability in order to make the right cooperation decisions. For competitors, we need to analyze their strategies and strengths and find ways to deal with them.
Regarding the analysis of characters, the most typical case is Cao Cao's "Cooking Wine on Heroes". In the process of talking with Liu Bei, Cao Cao analyzed the disadvantages and weaknesses of competitors such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao, and the whole analysis process can be described as a very classic "character analysis".
Fourth, analyze the way out
Zhuge Liang once said: "If you don't win, you will lose first." The author also believes that as long as the retreat is found well, there will be no shortage of opportunities for a turnaround. In the pursuit of our goals, we must not only focus on the way forward, but also plan the way out in advance. Analyzing the way out is a kind of precautionary wisdom, which can give us more options and solutions when faced with difficulties.
First of all, we need to predict the possible risks and adverse situations, and then plan the corresponding retreat based on these predictions. Retreats can take many forms, such as backup plans, resource reserves, interpersonal networks, etc. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain flexibility and adjust the retreat route according to the actual situation at any time.
For example, when making a major investment, in addition to considering the possibility of making a profit, it is also necessary to plan the way out if the investment fails, such as how to reduce losses and how to readjust strategies. In your career, you should also prepare multiple development paths for yourself to prevent a "mistake in standing in line" and being suppressed everywhere.
All in all, to improve our ability to analyze strategy, we need to train these four basic skills consistently. By constantly analyzing pitfalls, interests, people, and retreats, we are able to gradually develop keen insight, deep thinking skills, and decisive decision-making skills. In a complex and ever-changing society, these capabilities will become an important guarantee for our "survival and development", and will certainly be able to shield many disasters in advance.