This hexagram has a “Heaven” trigram on top and a “Lakes” trigram at the bottom.
The Chinese word 履lv stands for a walk, or shoe and can be extended to mean “carry out”, “execute”, or simply “do’. It also sounds similar and is defined to be the same as “礼 li” which means manners, courtesy, or protocols. 礼 is the right conduct of behavior of 履.
Description:
- 履虎尾，不咥人，亨。 Stepped on the tiger’s tail but the tiger did not bite people. This is a smooth flow of progress.
The textual commentary:
履，柔履刚也。说而应乎乾，是以履虎尾，不咥人，亨。刚中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也。
Using gentleness to handle the strong and powerful. With a cheerful response to Heaven’s strength, and hence even stepping on the tiger’s tail (tiger representing the strong one), it won’t bite people. It is good flowing. Strengths are rightly employed in the middle with justice. Taking up the position of King there is no regret. It is bright.
Pictorial Commentary: 上天下泽，履；君子以辨上下，安民志。Wise men discern positions, the upper and lower, and keep the people at peace with their desires and ambitions.
Moral Teachings:
In modern management terms, at first reading, this hexagram seems to tell me about ‘quality control’, ensuring the processes produce products within statistically controlled limits. We must have the right methods, procedures, and processes to produce quality products and services.
But I Ching is more about two major relationships
- between Heaven and people
- between people
Since it is about interaction among people for good relationships, it is about the right way and right conduct of behavior. It is about the right way to express our good intentions, such as love or appreciation. Having the right way will also prevent misunderstanding. For example, if a student wants to show appreciation to his teacher, he could write a thank you note or give an inexpensive present. Giving a very expensive present will be inappropriate even though the student may have rich parents. The intention of the student is then brought into doubt. If the teacher accepts the expensive gift, then his/her intention is also questionable. The right conduct is even more sensitive when different cultures are involved. For the Chinese, a roast piglet is a good gift. But it could not be given to our Jewish or Malay friends because pigs to them are uncleaned. They will be interpreted not as acts of friendship but as insults! Let’s learn more.
The position is a key factor.
Firstly, we must discern the positions, ours and in relation to others – higher or lower, stronger or weaker. The Chinese like to equate high with honors and low as despised. This should not be the case. There is a difference in the position of high and low but there is no value judgment associated with the position. Every position is honorable in its attributes. The honor is not in one’s position but in how we play out the role. If we are negligent in our roles, even if it is high, we bring dishonor to ourselves. If we faithfully execute the tasks according to our position, even though it is low, we are behaving honorably and will have honors. The key is identifying and playing our role properly.
Secondly, with those who are higher and stronger than us, we must not be afraid to handle them. We only need to treat them according to proper protocols and conduct, with gentleness and cheerfulness. Then even if we commit any error, we will be forgiven because of our good attitudes and behavior.
Thirdly, peace and success come from everyone understanding and playing their roles well. Hence, leaders must help their staff discover their talents and the right roles for them. It is no good for a person to want to be somebody else without the proper strengths and capabilities. They will be unhappy and they will be making others unhappy because of their incompetence due to the wrong roles.
Stage 1 Begin Nine: Plainly and faithfully execute. Go and move ahead. There is no fault. Go and accomplish your own ambition (This last phrase comes from the pictorial commentary). 初九：素履，往无咎。象曰：素履之往，独行愿也。
The starting point is to discover your own talents, personalities, and passions and then build your ambition on a career that you can enjoy and excel in. There is no need to be envious of others. Each one of us is gifted differently. Accept what you are gifted with and build your ambition on it. There is no need to show off to draw attention. Simply execute.
Stage 2 Second Nine: Peacefully walking on a flat and broad road. Keeping to your own righteous and just standard (literal: hermit) is good. 九二：履道坦坦，幽人贞吉。象曰：幽人贞吉，中不自乱也。
The pictorial commentary explained that by keeping to the middle and balanced way, there will be no confusion created by ourselves.
With no ulterior motives and keeping to our own roles & ambitions, we will be at peace and work productively using our strengths and with joy. The path we travel on will be broad and flat (easy). There are always external pressures to force us to conform to others, especially to take shortcuts, step on others, and use other devious means to progress. You just have to keep to your own high standard and the future is good. To them, you will be the hermit, the odd one out. It takes time to recognize true performances in the midst of most noises. Don’t follow the crowd to use the wrong methods to get ahead.
Stage 3 Third Six: Blind and yet trying to see. Lame and yet try to walk. Stepped on a tiger and get bitten. That is a disaster. This is like having a brutal warrior or a fighter be king to run the country. 六三：眇能视，跛能履，履虎尾，咥人，凶。 武人为于大君。
The pictorial commentary says that the blind are not able to see, the lame is not able to walk, and stepping on tigers and getting bitten is because of ill positioning (being put in a position where one is not able to do the work). A warrior is just one-tracked in doing things by force alone for his own interests. 象曰：眇能视；不足以有明也。跛能履；不足以与行也。咥人之凶；位不当也。 武人为于大君；志刚也。
Putting the wrong people in the wrong jobs will end in disaster. Bosses who think they know best and muscle their ways to get things done are dangerous to any business. A wise boss will spend the time to discover the tasks needed and the right people for them. People that are green to the job, need to be developed. Being a good manager takes more than just splitting a task into sub-tasks and blindly assigning them out. The lesson here is “fitting the right people to the right jobs”.
Stage 4 Fourth Nine: Taking extra care, being very afraid, to not stepping on the tiger’s tail will be a good ending. You can achieve your mission. 九四：履虎尾，愬愬终吉。象曰：愬愬终吉，志行也。
The tiger’s tail is frequently mentioned here. Note that we are not facing the tiger’s head. We are not being attacked by the tiger. The tiger is busy on its own. But the tiger is very powerful and occupies a large territory. We must take care, when we are expanding ourselves, not to infringe on its territory and step on its tail. Here, maybe because of our growth into stage 4, we think we are now somebody and hence become careless, and unknowingly or even at times, knowingly, step on the tiger’s tail (or in today’s terms, the leader’s toes), just a little bit of course, and we end up creating a great problem for ourselves. Be watchful not to overextend the tiger’s territory. There is a proper way though – learn from stage 1.
Stage 5 Fifth Nine: Be resolute in executions and yet be watchful of potential danger. The pictorial commentary adds that the position is right and hence moves forward resolutely. 九五：夬履，贞厉。象曰：夬履贞厉，位正当也。
We have grown and developed. We are now in the right position with the needed capability. We need to move ahead boldly and speedily and yet always keep watch for the changing trends.
Stage 6 Top Nine: Reflect and examine carefully our actions, continuing with improvements will bring forth great success. 上九：视履考祥，其旋元吉。象曰：元吉在上，大有庆也。Pictorially, the great success is at the top, calling forth a big celebration.
As we move, we need continually to reflect and improve on our actions. We need to learn the ‘love languages’ of others and express our intention correctly. There is the famous book “5 Love-Languages among Spouses” – time, service, gift, touch, and Talk that teaches spouses how to communicate and understand each other better.
When we apply this to processes, we are reminded of the PDSA or PDCA taught by Edward Deming, the renowned Quality Guru. P is planning first. D is then doing. S is studying the result; C is checking the outcomes. Are the results the same as planned? If not, what are the causes for deviations? Work out the needed improvements and A, Act on and implement the planned changes, and repeat the cycle. If there are no changes in the external situations, then this continual improvement will bring the defects down and productivity up. But this is no guarantee because external environments do change. There may be better technology, processes, regulations, and even just a change in customers’ taste, which will affect what you have perfected! Celebrate with a watchful eye for the external environment changes.
Perhaps we can also follow PDSA(Plan, Do, Study, Act) to improve our conduct with others.
Summary:
Real work begins when we put our plan into action. We walk our talk. However, the way we conduct ourselves must be done with the proper protocols, especially with people. We must understand cultural differences and learn the right conduct of behavior to minimize misunderstanding and improve teamwork and productivity.
Additional teachings are:
- Just do it – Walk
- Walk with integrity.
- Walk with Opened Eyes. Match people, jobs, and conduct.
- Respect Others – don’t step on them.
- Walk fast but watch for pot-holes
- Reflect and Improve in your walk.
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