#60 節 Control – Just Enough of It

#60節 Control – Just Enough of It

节      水泽节         坎上兑下

This hexagram has the Water trigram on top of the Lake trigram. This is creating an overflow and hence the need to control or limit. The name of this hexagram is 节 meaning control, limit, discipline, put a stop, or abstain from. Again, from the principle concept of I-Ching, too much control is also no good just as lack of control is bad. We need to have the right amount of control. This is also why I prefer the use of the word “Control” over “Limit”. Control gives the idea of adjusting, not too much and not too little. An alternative word could be “Regulate”.

Description:

1. 亨: a smooth flow of progress and success
2. 苦节不可: should not have excessive control that leads to intense pains
3. 贞: persevere in righteousness

Textual Commentary:

彖曰：节，亨，刚柔分，而刚得中。苦节不可贞，其道穷也。说以行险，当位以节，中正以通。 天地节而四时成，节以制度，不伤财，不害民。

Control is a smooth flow of progress. The strong and soft are separated (actually in equal amounts of 3 strong and 3 soft lines) with the strong taking the central position. Painful control cannot last long, its way leads to a dead end. There is joy in maneuvering over danger, controlling to get the right position, and maintaining righteousness at the center to have open and free access. Heaven and Earth control themselves and result in the four seasons. Have a system to implement control. Don’t waste resources and don’t hurt the people.

Pictorial Commentary: 泽上有水，节；君子以制数度，议德行。

There is water on top of the Lake is controlled. A wise man has a system of measurement for discussion and implementation of virtue and conduct.

Moral Teachings:

1. There must be control to ensure unobstructed flow to progress and success.
2. The control must be appropriate and not too much to cause pain.
3. The control must be based on standards of righteousness, virtue, and conduct. It must follow the timing and ensure regularity.
4. There must be a system, of rules and guidelines, to ensure control. The system must be efficient and effective so as not to waste resources and not hurt the people.
5. There must be measurements and standards (established in point 3) to have control.
6. With proper control, we can go through danger with joy.

Stage 1 Begin Nine: Not going out of the house. There is no fault. 初九：不出户庭，无咎。
The pictorial commentary gives the reason for not going out. It is because he understands flow and obstruction. 象曰：不出户庭，知通塞也。

We must understand the principles of “Flow” and “Obstruction”. We must learn to read the situation well and know the time to move or to stay. At this stage, it is alright for us to stay. Reading a situation requires some knowledge. In the business world, we have the SWOT analysis. The military has the equivalent of Appreciation of the Situation. The only problem with using Military Strategies in Business is that it is only half correct. Business is a love affair with customers and not a war against competitors. The focus should be on customers with competitors being used by customers as reference points.

Stage 2 Second Nine: Not going out of the house. This is a disaster. 九二：不出门庭，凶。
The pictorial commentary gives the reason. Not going out will mean a loss of opportunity. 象曰：不出门庭，失时极也。

Comparing the outcomes of stage 1 and stage 2, we can see that the action is the same, staying at home, but the outcome is different. One is no fault and the other is a disaster. Why? Because the situation has changed. At this stage, we should move out to get at the opportunity else we will lose it. The world has changed, the type-writer manufacturer is still producing type-writers! How could it not be a disaster?

Stage 3 Third Six: Without control one will sigh. This statement is no fault. 六三：不节若，则嗟若，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that if we don’t control ourselves until it is too late, we have only ourselves to blame. 象曰：不节之嗟，又谁咎也。

By itself, without control, things will take their own course and go off plan. Things seldom happen according to plan. There must be constant monitoring and correction to ensure the happenings are according to plan. Once deviation is detected, it is better to fix the out-of-control issue as early as possible. The cost of fixing an error increases with time. If the error is just on the drawing board, fixing it is just the cost of the draft man. If it had already been implemented. The cost will be much greater. It will be worse if the error causes the loss of lives later.

Stage 4 Forth Six: Quietly following the Control. It is a smooth flow of progress and success. 六四：安节，亨。
The pictorial commentary explains that progress comes from following the right way. 象曰：安节之亨，承上道也。

The system is working well and the people are happy to follow them. Things move smoothly.

Stage 5 Fifth Nine: Getting the sweet benefits of Control. This is good fortune. Going forward is praiseworthy. 九五：甘节，吉；往有尚。
The pictorial commentary explains the sweetness of the control because it is standing in the central position. 象曰：甘节之吉，居位中也。

Stage 4 is a passive following of the control system. At Stage 5, we have people positively benefiting from the system and singing its praises. They will enthusiastically promote it after seeing its value.

Stage 6 Top Six: Painful control. Persevere in it will bring disaster. There is no repentance. 上六：苦节，贞凶，悔亡。
The pictorial commentary explains the disaster comes from moving to a dead end. 象曰：苦节贞凶，其道穷也。

When the control is overburdening the people, it should be changed and simplified. It is not to do away with the control system as a typical reaction, but to make changes in the degree of control. Any control or measurement system actually adds to the costs, increases the effort, and may even distort behavior.  Change, and simplify the control system and there need be no repentance. Find out what is not really needed, and what is creating behavior that you do not want. e.g. measuring the calls handled per hour as a productivity measure for the call center operator only results in the operator wanting to cut short the call rather than wanting to be truly helpful.

Summary:

To ensure we have a smooth flow and to avoid danger, we must have proper control. The keys are:

1. A set of Standards – the righteous virtue and conduct.
2. A set of Targets – the right positions that we want to reach to prevent deviations. If it is a project, there must be a plan first. If this is a flow, there must be operating ranges.
3. A set of measurements and continued monitoring.
4. The systems and the process of controlling must be efficient and effective. It cannot be too much wasting resources and hurting people. Neither it can be too little to lose direction.

Wisdom from the Stage Lines:

1. Stay Put is OK if the external situation changes a little.
2. Stay Put is BAD if the external situation has changed. Structural changes invalidate past practices. Change with time.
3. Control in time saves regrets later. Detect alpha or beta errors and respond accordingly.
4. Quiet Control. Systems are followed.
5. Sweet Control. The benefits of control are seen and people love it.
6. Over Control. People are overburdened. Review, simplify, and change measurements and control systems to correct undesirable behavior caused.

Lim Liat (c) 24/6/2010