What Sun Tzu Wrote:
“Those who are victorious, calculate many factors before the confrontation. Those who lose battles, calculate but few factors before the challenge. Many calculations lead to victory, little calculation leads to defeat: how much more so with no calculations at all. By paying attention to this point only, I foresee triumph or defeat.”
What This Means to the Modern Financial Professional:
In Chapter one, Sun Tzu establishes a series of calculations or factors that dictate a successful outcome. The FP must survey every situation and assess the key elements that affect all possible outcomes, and subsequently define the factors and influences necessary for a desired outcome. This is not ground-breaking advice. Yet, I am constantly surprised how unprepared my patients are to refine their work methods, and in turn expand their professional horizons. With each interaction, each transaction, the FP needs to evolve, stream lining workflow, applying new lessons, generating new ideas, analyzing a myriad of diverse data: all geared to making sound, smart, rational, financial decisions. This requires a level of dedication few are willing to make. My counsel is that change comes in small increments through careful observation, implementation and practice. Consistency is key. Smart FPs plan their day, week, month, quarter; they never lose sight of their focus. They never skip a beat. They constantly compare their performance/their behavior to the day before, the month before, the quarter before, the year before. They measure, and in turn gauge, their success.Self-monitoring is a time proven behavior modification technique which enhances performance.