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The Strategy of Chaos

www.strategynotes.co

The Strategy of Chaos

Sun Tzu & transportation strikes

ML Cavanaugh
Oct 5, 2023
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The Strategy of Chaos

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I've grown to follow Ben Cohen's "Science of Success" column in the Wall Street Journal. Recently he deep-dived into the United Auto Workers strike strategy, based on a three decades old approach taken by flight attendants (called "Chaos" for "Create Havoc Around Our System").

The Chaos approach was dreamed up by a labor leader who noticed the airline's strategy was to simply replace striking flight attendants. For example, if a flight attendant announced they wouldn't go to work until X demand was met, then the airline would hire a replacement. The labor leader was a student of Sun Tzu's, who advised strategists to attack not just the adversary, but the adversary's strategy.

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