No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.– Niccolò Machiavelli
Nothing succeeds like a surprise party!
What does that mean?
“They never saw it coming!” That is the root of this quote. Whether it’s an unexpected hostile takeover in the business world, or a surprise popping of “the question,” nothing is more likely to be successful than a concealed plan coupled with proper timing and swift execution.
All of this presupposes a well planned ‘enterprise’ with proper research and good intelligence. If the company you’re going to take over hasn’t been forthcoming about the problems with their soon-to-launch product, the wolves might find they have been stalking a sheepdog, not a sheep. Similarly, if you aren’t sure they are going to say ‘yes’ when you pop the question, you have failed in doing your homework, right?
By concealing your intentions, you make it a surprise. When someone is surprised, you have them at a disadvantage. Therein lies your advantage, your best chance for success. Note the quote does not guarantee success, just discusses how to maximize your chances of success.
Why is surprise important?
While this quote talks of an ‘enemy,’ it applies to many other situations. A surprise engagement, a surprise party, or a surprise promotion, all have added impact with the element of surprise. While some situations are tailor made for surprises, we must also recognize that there are times when surprise is inappropriate.
Surprise helps us liven up the start of a party, and it also helps to form bonds between the co-conspirators. There are people who just don’t like people going to the trouble of throwing a party for them. If you let them know of your plan in advance, it would be doomed from the start.
Surprise is also useful when playing cards, right? You generally don’t let others know if you’re bluffing or you really do have a straight, right? If you are in business, and are willing to pay twice what the other person is asking, you keep your willingness a surprise, because if you tell them, they’ll raise their price to what you are willing to pay.
Surprise, or the concealment of information, has it’s place in our daily lives, as well as our business lives, our social lives and every other part of our lives. To me, the trick is to use surprise in a most ethical manner. The definition of ethical, of course, is determined by the winner, as it always has been.
Where can I apply this in my life?
Apple is probably one of the best at this. Look at the tremendous buzz it generates by waiting, but concealing all that they possibly can. I doubt that Apple considers the users of their products as their enemies, but the quote still functions quite well, despite the lack of an enemy in the classic sense.
In another memorable surprise, I put together a roughly two month long plan that lead from her telling me what she wanted in an engagement ring, and ending in me popping the question on Valentines Day. Surprise wasn’t necessary, but it added something special for me. She, in turn, didn’t tell her parents, as she was going to visit them a week later, so she got to use a little surprise as well.
Where in your life could you insert a little surprise into your life, or the life of a friend? Note that we are talking about a good kind of surprise, not something mean or vicious, or that the other person wouldn’t appreciate. Grab some paper and write down a list of things you’d like to do as a surprise. Try to get at least one thing from each part of your life, each role, each category, and each activity.
It might be as simple as offering to buy the first round next time you get together with your friends (unless you always do that). I imagine that would be a pleasant surprise for them, right? What other things could you do that others would enjoy when you sprang it on them?
Consider each of the possibilities on your list, and choose the one you like the best, either because you like the person(s) who you would surprise, or because you like the plan that’s starting to form in your mind. If you’re having trouble deciding, just pick one for the purpose of moving forward, and come back to do the others when it’s convenient for you.
Take a few moments to think this through. Will this really be as neat for them as it is for you? If this is just about you, you might indeed end up with an enemy. If you are doing this primarily for them, you should be in good shape.
Consider what it’s going to take to pull off your idea. Will you need more people? Will you need a lot of time to get it pulled together? Will it take some money, no money, or a lot of money? Is there a day or date that will make the surprise even more special? Anything else that might be useful in pulling off the surprise?
With the major constraints identified, start breaking the plan into chunks, and write them down. For mine, I had to find an excuse to go ring shopping (she liked to do that, and one day she was feeling down, so there was my opportunity). Then I had to get back to the store and buy the ring, get the stone mounted and then hide the ring until it was time to execute the plan.
Since change always seems to happen, only put a lot of effort into planning the first step or two. What are the detailed steps for the first chunk? They should be detailed enough that you know exactly what you need to do, and roughly how long it will take to accomplish. If time or money are big constraints, be sure to allocate time or money to each chunk, so you can try to stay on schedule.
Just remember that this quote applies to many aspects of your life, some more war like (with a winner and a loser), while others are more peaceable (with all parties winning). Ethics are a key part of using this quote, but most of you already realize that.
From: Twitter, @MaxVapor
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/niccolomac101487.html
Photo by Lars Plougmann
