Chapter 9: Tempo

Overview

Things may come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle.

”Abraham Lincoln ^[1]

Tempo is relative speed in time ”identifying opportunities, making decisions, and acting faster than one s opponent , thereby forcing him into a constant state of reaction.

Speed is clearly central to maneuver warfare, but the relevant measure for tempo is not absolute speed or hustle: the aim of tempo is to plan and initiate the next action while the opponent is still observing and reacting to previous moves. Seizing the initiative allows the practitioner of maneuver warfare to dictate the time, place, and nature of each competitive encounter, thereby assuring a superior state of preparedness and a position of relative advantage. As the opponent attempts to comprehend the action and muster a response, the practitioner of maneuver warfare imagines and prepares for that which might happen next and plots his or her next moves. Ideally, in a multiperiod encounter, the opponent will fall increasingly behind and will end up responding inappropriately to events that have already occurred. Alternatively, in a multiple-arena encounter, the practitioner of maneuver warfare can move among the arenas so rapidly that the enemy is never sure where he is being engaged.

In this chapter we offer five examples of tempo and its key components , as well as present-day lessons from the Marines. U.S. Air Force colonel John Boyd s breakthrough analysis of the differences in decision-making speed exhibited by U.S. pilots and their North Korean and Chinese opponents during the Korean War illustrates tempo in warfare. And Cisco Systems ascent in the networking equipment market since its initial public offering in 1990 illustrates tempo in business. Lieutenant General Stonewall Jackson s leadership in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S. Civil War in 1862 exemplifies tempo in a multiarena encounter in warfare. In the very same year, hesitation by Union general George McClellan cost the Union a valuable opportunity at the Battle of Antietam ”and McClellan his job. Finally, a rapid-fire sequence of interrelated customer service and scheduling innovations at corporate travel agency Rosenbluth International in the early 1980s exemplifies tempo in a multiperiod encounter in the business environment.

The Marines consider tempo a weapon, and this weapon can become part of your arsenal of business practices. Based on the techniques they employ and on some of the lessons learned from our five historical examples, we will recommend ways in which you can increase your own decision-making speed, promote rapid tempo throughout your organization, and use technology to accelerate operations and prevent catastrophic halts.

^[1] www.execunet.com.