Master Sun:  “Therefore measure in terms of five things, use these assessments to make comparisons, and thus find out what the conditions are. The five things are the way, the weather, the terrain, the leadership, and discipline.”

Du Mu: “These are to be assessed at headquarters - first assess yourself and your opponent in terms of these five things, deciding who is superior. Then you can determine who is likely to prevail. Having determined this, only then should you mobilize your forces.”

Adaptation: Nakedly honest appraisal of the internal and external conditions that currently prevail is the foundation of the assessments made by skillful Talent Strategists. The dimensions to be taken into account include the culture of the organization (the way) and the corporate cultures of ones competitors for talent. (more…)