Ghost Valley Strategy Consultants and

Shambhala Mountain Center Present:

The Strategic Studies Series

The Strategic Studies Series is a system of workshops and courses featuring modern applications of strategy based on Chinese classics including Sunzi’s Art of War, The Thirty-Six Strategies, and the writings of Zhuge Liang.

 

Phase 1 of the Series begins with a special introductory workshop that highlights general principles of strategic thought and action drawn from the teachings of Sunzi, the master of situations, and Zhuge Liang, the master of human observation.

This workshop provides training in situation, social, interpersonal, and information awareness. The training is augmented with exercises in body and mental awareness from the Taoist tradition.

This workshop is scheduled for May 8,9,10, 2020, at Shambhala Mountain Center. See the program below.

 

Phase 2 of the Series consists of 4 modules of training in strategy and tactics based on the Chinese strategy classic Sunzi’s Art of War. This Series is modular in design, but on completion of all the modules, the participant will have learned how to use the entire book to design and execute plans of strategic action. Subsequent phases will include courses based on the teachings of Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms Era, The Thirty-Six Strategies, a translation and commentary by Eva Wong, to be published in the summer of 2020, as well as new translations of other significant Chinese classics of strategy and tactics.

 

The training format of the Series will consist of:

• Presentations by Eva Wong and Ghost Valley Strategy Consultants
• Theme-rooms tutorials and breakout groups
• Theme-focused training exercises
• Taoist body and mental awareness training

Bring out the strategist in you. Enjoy the company of like-minded individuals in studying and training together. Take home guidelines and tools. Join Ghost Valley Strategy Consultants in bringing strategy into your work and everyday life.

 

Eva Wong is the author of A Course in the Thirty-Six Strategies, a Chinese classic on strategy and tactics, as well as 15 other books on the Taoist practical arts such as meditation, health practices, divination, and strategy.

She owns and operates Ghost Valley Strategy Consultants, and has advised corporations, government agencies, and private individuals on strategy world-wide. You can find her courses on strategy and tactics listed in the website www.limitlessgate.com.

 Program of:

“An Invitation to Thinking and Acting Strategy”

 

Shambhala Mountain Center May 8 (begins evening), 9, 10 (ends at 4pm) 2020

 with Eva Wong, Ghost Valley Strategy Consultants

 

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Day 0: Opening talk

• What is strategy
• Strategy vs. organization
• Types of strategies: proactive, reactive, desperate
• The process of strategic thought and action (flow chart)
• A brief survey of the Chinese classics of strategy
• The balance of strategy and virtue

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Day 1 Morning session

Learning from Sunzi, the master of situations

• Introduction to Sunzi and the Art of War
• Situation awareness

Awareness - strategy (plans) - action (implementation)

 

Outdoor exercises: Awareness Training

• attention to details, static and moving
• filtering details
• prioritizing attention

 

LUNCH BREAK

 

Day 1 Afternoon session

Learning from Zhuge Liang, the master of human observation

• Who is Zhuge Liang
• Observing people and reading minds

Observation - strategy (plans) - action (implementation)

 

Outdoor exercises: Observing people

 

TEA BREAK

 

Tutorials

1 - Natural world awareness

• Understanding physical environments
• Reading terrain

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE RAIN

 

2 - Social world awareness

• Reading social interactions
• Forming allies, recognizing opponents

COCKTAIL PARTY STRATEGIES

 

3 - Interpersonal awareness

• Reading human potentials
• Evaluating fitness of persons to tasks

READ OTHERS, DON’T ALLOW OTHERS TO READ YOU

 

4 - Information awareness

• Reading intention behind information
• Filtering information

READ BETWEEN THE LINES AND BEHIND THE LINES

 

DINNER BREAK

 

Theme-room break-out groups

• Natural awareness
• Social world awareness
• Interpersonal awareness
• Information awareness

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Day 2: Morning sessions

Body awareness and mental awareness

Body awareness enhances general awareness

• When body is alert and attuned to itself, general awareness is enhanced.
• Body awareness training - Qigong practice

Refining mental awareness

Mental awareness enhances general awareness

• When we are alert to whatever arises mentally, we detect early warning signals better and faster.
• Mental awareness training - Using Taoist meditation techniques

LUNCH BREAK

 

Day 2: Afternoon session

Tools for personalized follow-up training

• Thought banners
• Exercises for training situation awareness
• Exercises for building body awareness
• Exercises for improving natural world awareness, social world awareness, interpersonal awareness, and information awareness

Introducing future workshops and training courses.

 

PROGRAM ENDS AT 4PM.