01.006 Law is organization, the chain of command...

Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses.

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Keen insights. Again. Thanks.

Easy transmission of orders and information is important. But it is also important that said orders be clear. An unclear or ambiguous order that is "easily transmitted" is hardly useful and oftentimes unhelpful.

Orders should be clear enough so that the commander's intent is readily discernable at each level of command.

BingFa

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"Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses."-Sun-tzu.

This is most important in warfare. Law organizes the troops, provides the chain of command through the officers so that they can employ discipline and command to their subordinates, logistics and the control of expenses is important in that they calculate what is needed, such as equipment and food, etc..., so that the general may learn to employ complete victory and to not waste the supplies. Therefore, it must be analyzed.

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Many successful small companies never make the leap to the "next level," in no small part because of their inability to deal with changes in the Law.

Whereas in a small organization, an entrepenurial spirit is needed (desire for a range of responsibilities, flat organizational structure, little bureaucracy, etc.), as that organization grows it must be able to adapt to a different culture. A good flow of communication remains important, but now there must be more structure in place regarding accountability, distribution of responsibilities, and chain of command.

It is not uncommon for a great general in a start-up company to be an ineffective general in a larger, established company. Which brings up another point - the Law is not a constant, and is affected by culture. Another example is that organizational norms are very different when comparing a U.S. company v. a Japanese one.

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So far we have looked at the external factors and issue of leadership. And now the time has come to look at the army itself and particularly certain aspects.

Organization is group of people, which have common goal, tasks and plan. And they need resources to achieve those objectives. To organize army means to:

• Define goal,
  
• Establish plan,
  
• Collect group of the right people,
  
• Gather the necessary resources,
  
• Manage the group.

I think that organization is somewhat close to the way projects are/should be managed. Those projects are undertaken to achieve specific goal, they require skilled people and resources. The timeline is defined and project manager (the commander) manages it. After the goal was achieved the project is finished or if you like in the warlike terminology the army is disbanded.

The chain is command is about passing information to the right people at the right time. Warfare is a complicated thing when multiple tasks have to be performed in the proper sequence by groups of men. So synchronization is very much desired. Here we speak about establishing the right communication channels, about the speed with which information travels. Also we speak about information being not disturbed and understood properly. This requires all people of the army/organization/project speak the same language, the same slang.

Logistics deals with resources. What resources are required? When? Where? How they will be transported?

Carrying the warfare requires money. Similarly you need it to run projects as well. Before committing yourself to warfare you should prepare carefully the budget. Maybe financial plan is a better phrase. And during the execution phase you should control your expenses to make sure that you can simply complete the plan.

If I wanted to sound like a new speech man then I would go and say that you need four plans here:

• Operational plan – sequence of operations to be performed,
  
• Communication plan – how you will maintain the flow of information,
  
• Logistic plan – how you will manage transportation of people and goods,
  
• Financial plan – how you will finance the warfare.
  

And possibly you should have all this in your mind as good commander. Looks like demanding task.

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What goes down first?

It's interesting to see what happens with this four factors when things go wrong. What goes down first, when the war is all but lost or an army is crushed? I think expenses and logistics vanish first. Let's take a surrounded army, like the germans in Stalingrad. Their line of supply was cut, so they were forced to use airplanes to bring in supplies, many of which were shot down. So they had little supply and huge expenses. The soldiers understood after a time that they were doomed. The organization broke down after some time too, due to the lack of resources for coordinating the entire army. This happened especially after the russians cut the army in more pockets in various areas in and near the city. The last to go down was the chain of command, when in face of sure death or capture, leadership became less important than equality of fate and brotherhood.
Perhaps in war the general should strengthen those parts of the "law" which go down first. If organization or chain of command are disrupted first, like in a mutiny or excessive plunder and rage, the general is surely on the brink of collapse. I think that chain of command and organization form over a much longer time period than a good logistic plan, so they must be stregthened in peace. In brief, if you go to war make sure that beside money and trucks and etc you have the right army to wage war with.
I would like to hear another opinion as well on this, my example may be not adequate.

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Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses.

To me this suggest that the concept of "Law" is merely an exercise of extreme control. A leader must have ultimate control if anything is to work.

Gonzo

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ANOTHER POV

Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses.

I think most of the forum members has answered this question.

Great strategists emphasize on strategy, tactics and logistics.

A very rare commodity!

The organization of logistics means good rank and file structure, proper communication flow between rank and file groups, acquisition of resources and budgeting.

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{* CARDINAL999 *}

"In the Field of Observation, Fortune Favors the Prepared (and the Bold)."

"The stillness in stillness is not the true stillness; only when there is stillness in motion does the universal rhythm manifest." - Old Daoist Text

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Aw, hell

... I thought my translation of "chain of command" was original ....

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Fa zhe (Method)

"Technique is the ordering of forces, the chain of command, provisioning and logistics."

The last of the five methods of evaluation is simple military science: all the skills of organization and logistics. While these are essential, they are easily learned; without the other four, they are easily defeated.

But with clarity, objectivity, understanding of tactics and maneuver, and a truly powerful leader, lacks in military techniques can be overcome, as was seen often in the American Civil War: Grant was conswidered ignorant and uncouth, and his military science was reviled (for a while) but his knowldge of situation, strategy, maneuver, and of what he could ask his men to do led him to victory over the much better educated Lee.

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Hi,

It was not Grant's strategy that won the Civil War. It was Winfield Scott's "Anaconda Plan" that won the war. Grant supplied the anvil and Sherman was the hammer. The Naval blockade was the tongs...

Tx Sz

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Grant-sensei

Didn't say Grant won the war single-handed; said Grant whupped Lee.

I'll admit the Civil War is about 100 years after the latest war in which I've taken a serious interest, but I'm pretty sure I've got that part right.

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to check my understanding

please correct me if i do not understand

LAW consists of four factors
organization
chain of command
logistics
control of expenses

organization is the training which ensures that everyone is on the same page, understands their responsiblility to the group and the part they contribute to making things run smoothly

chain of command is the vehicle to ensure accountability from the bottom of the group to the top and direction from the top to the bottom

logistics is the support system which provides that each part of the group has the resources they nee to complete their tasks

and control of expenses enables the providing of the resources

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To calculate implies the use of certain "laws". The "laws" of mathematics, physics, nature, etc., all imply that if something happens then something else will happen. It is interesting that the Sun Tzu begins with a definition of "Law".

"Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses".

Unless all four factors are considered individually and then taken as a whole, you have no "law" or principle to apply. Therefore when the wise commander implements an "organized" structure that utilizes a logical "chain of command" whereby "logistics" and "expenses" are considered, then, and ONLY then, is a victorious foundation laid.

Jesus spoke of building upon a "rock" as opposed to building upon "sand". Here we have, from my POV, the foundational "rock" upon which the rest of the Sun Tzu builds.

Humbly,


Lonestar

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Humbly,

Lonestar

Learning to "take every thought captive".

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thank you lonestar

your insight was most helpful

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