On the human chessboard, all moves are possible.
—Miriam Schiff

If you are committed solely to one course of action, you will eventually perish. Even the smallest pebble will trip you up. For example, modern automobiles have rubber tires and shock absorbers that adapt to the road, enabling them to move at very high speeds. Without that capability, the smallest pebbles would reduce cars to a snail’s pace.

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu talks about “The Nine Situations” of battle. He calls the situation where you have no options, “hemmed-in territory.” He says you are very vulnerable in this situation and, therefore, you should avoid engaging the enemy. Of course, being in a vulnerable position without the ability to engage does not help you broker high-value deals or grow your business. If the enemy engages you on hemmed-in territory, Sun Tzu calls that situation “desperate ground.” He says you are now in a struggle for your life. How can you avoid these situations and have many options?

Kurt Lewin says that people with bigger life spaces have more options available to them. Remember Lewin’s example that a child may have difficulty feeding himself while an adult can explore the realms of gourmet cooking? You want to maximize your life space and to help the customer maximize his. You can move from the abstract notion of life space to concrete choices by using the Four Forces model as a guide.

Be flexible and adaptive. When conditions change, or when people have conflicting views, adapt to the situation. You are the change leader—it is not your role to be stuck to one option.

Try to play the role of the shock absorber in the automobile by inserting yourself between conflicting views—in other words, be a “broker” and a diplomat. A broker can often soften a message and depersonalize it, thereby helping the recipient acknowledge the validity of other options.

Explore and expand the customer’s life space by utilizing the Four Forces model to identify more options.

Finally, Sun Tzu says that a battle cannot be won without information, strategy, and planning. Keep in mind that the change leader becomes a strategic resource when she provides outstanding counsel in these critical elements.

Remain “open” to all ideas and options. Help keep the customer open to more options by brokering them. Use the Four Forces model to identify additional options.