Discovering Inner Desires - Gui Gu Zi's Wisdom#10 C8 摩篇 Probe

The last post is about appreciation of the situation and discovery of intentions. This post a follow-up into the discoveries of the inner desires of the people involved. It is based on the principle that what is inside will be revealed in the response to when probed. How that can be done is presented here.

The Principle of Reaction:

The inner intentions will be revealed in the external reaction when probed appropriately.

The Keys to Probing Rightly:

1.  Probing without Detection:
    If detected, they will hide, distort or even mislead you.
2.  Probing without leaving any trace.
    If any trace is left, they will be discovered and they can take corrective and preventive actions.
3. Go by being like them - Familiarity engages.
   GuiGuZi said that dry wood will catch fire first. Damp ground will soak up the water first.
   Be like them, earn the trust, and the rights to be listened to and to ask.
   Go by their types and by their desires. 

Discovering 10 Types of Desires:

1. Stability - No Change. Keep the status-quo
2. Righteousness - Make sure it is right and fair to everyone.
3. Happiness /Hedonism
4. Anger - Give me revenge. I want to get even.
5. Fame and Glory.
6. Success - Make sure it succeeds.
7. Clean and fugal- No-Corruption. 
8. Trustworthiness - Fulfill expectation
9. Benefits - Gains.
10. Insecurity - Give me assurances and praises. Let me be in control.

The Ideals:

1. For planning, it must be both complete and detailed.
2. For persuasion, it must be complete listening 
3. For execution, it must be completed successfully.

The Best Leadership - Quiet Execution:

The best kind of leadership is to do things as quietly as possible, over a long period of time, and let the result do the talking. It is the accumulation of good works and the winning effortless (win without engaging in any war and consume no resources). Planning must be done in secret and executed stealthily so that the result will surprise the people and yet the people know not how. Drawing attention will just invite interferences and distortions to the execution of the plan. Such a leadership matches well with Lao Zi's teaching on Levels of Leadership - Can We Measure Leadership?

Conclusions:

1. Probe: must know their personalities and desires and probe accordingly and lightly without detection and leaving no trace. Start with observation.

2. Ideals: Strategize(complete, detailed), Persuade(listening), Execution (completion & success)

3. Be like them to get trust and disclosures.

4. Appeal to their desires and get listening, agreement and support

5. Must be done at the right time, not distracted by initial success, and persistence to completion.

Lim Liat (c) 18 Jul 2018

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