The strategist
Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2011
by Jose Wer
JWResearch-Mayatek
The strategist
Is someone who develops and carries out a plan and makes it succeed, especially applicable in business, military, or political arena and obviously a very useful and valuable skill in life.
You may ask how do you learn and develop such skill?
Even in nature, you see parents passing the needed survival skills to their young and mostly by plain observation of their actions.
I was allowed to sit and observe but with very stringent rules . . . No talking, Not uttering any sounds, or making any motions that may alert or divert attention of the players’ from the game!
My father had bought a Chess Set and taught my 11 and 13 year old brothers how to play, I (off course!) was to young to learn and understand such game principles!
The two main contenders were my brother Roberto and my father. Carlos’ mind was always more interested in friends, fun and girls!
Yes, Roberto was the “scholar” always attaining high grades in all school subjects and participating in sports. He was a pitcher for the school’s Baseball team and while I don’t remember him winning 1st place, he attained second place in the 800 meter interschool races.
Even today I had a chance to read some of his poetry and position papers and have been impressed by his skills as a writer. Not surprising if he read my stories I can bet that the red ink would be plentiful on my papers . . . He was my 6th grade Grammar Teacher! . . . And he is as good in English as he is in Spanish!
The two main contenders were a match pair! And as such afforded me the opportunity to observe not only their strategies but learn their mistakes and lack of awareness of different alternatives not only in their defensive posture but also in their offensive plans.
After about a year of having to sit quietly observing them play, I started to beg . . . Yes, actually beg, for them to let me play! My father finally “ordered my brother to play me a game.
I remember his reluctance and his words: “OK, this will be a fast one!”
While he seems to have forgotten, he was like putty in my hands that first game and the results were obvious. My father then decided he wanted to play me and they started a discussion because my brother claimed that he had the right to a revenge game!
My gather won the argument but not the game! From that day forward, there were 3 contenders in the house!
If there is a way to learn “confidence in oneself”, this game certainly provided that for me. I grew to love the game of Chess above all other games.
It also brought us closer together; I was not only “just a kid” but a respected member of the family. Funny, how little things can make a big difference.
Later in life, while serving on active duty with The US Army in Europe, I was tasked by The Division to write the plan of actions, for our Battalion, to be placed in effect should The Russian Army and Tank Brigades decided to cross the Border Lines. .It included both strategy and tactical procedures to be used in the defense and also for the “advance to the rear” as coordinated with the Division.
These plans referred as “The Standard Operation Procedures” (SOP) were maintained in our Battalion as Secret papers to be opened and used only if the emergency required it.
Luckily, although the Super Powers were then in a very stern competition, the whole episode was only in the minds of the military leaders who needed to anticipate possible actions that never happened.
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