Method and Discipline
Sun Tsu said, “By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which the army receives supplies, and the control of military expenditure.”
In business, method and discipline should also be the driving forces of operations. In other words, there should be rules and procedures in place to deal with operations. The rules are the methods by how things operate. People that deviate from the methods must be disciplined. The discipline should be strict. People should not get away with breaking from the methods of operation.
Here is an example of how method and discipline can be important. Have you ever had someone promoted over you that didn't do their job? Maybe they were friends of the boss or the bosses kid. It brings discord and unhappiness to others.
Have you ever had a boss that allows one group of people to do one thing and yet is strict with someone else. It might be a simple act of favoritism.
Good methods prevent this type of behavior and strict enforcement prevents people from trying to do things like this. The only reason stuff like this goes on in corporate American is because management is not strictly discliplining their managers.
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