HEXAGRAM 28: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION AND CASES

HEXAGRAM 28 - Ta Kuo - Preponderance of the Great

Above TUI THE JOUYOUS, LAKE

Below SUN THE GENTLE, WIND, WOOD

This hexagram consists of

· four strong lines inside and

· two weak lines outside.

1. When

· the strong are outside and

· the weak inside,

o all is well and

o there is

§ nothing out of balance,

§ nothing extraordinary in the situation.

2. Here, however, the opposite is the case.

· The hexagram represents a beam that is

o thick and heavy in the middle but

o too weak at the ends.

§ This is a condition that cannot last;

§ it must be changed, must pass, or misfortune will result.

THE JUDGMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.

The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.

It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

Success.

The weight of the great is excessive.

The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports.

The ridgepole, on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point,

because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear.

It is an exceptional time and situation;

therefore

extraordinary measures are demanded.

It is necessary

· to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and

· to take action.

This promises success.

For although the strong element is in excess,

it is in the middle, that is, at the center of gravity, so that

a revolution is not to be feared.

Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures.

The problem must be solved by

gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation

(as is suggested by the attribute of the inner trigram, Sun);

then

the change-over to other conditions will be successful.

It demands real superiority;

therefore

the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.

THE IMAGE

The lake rises above the trees:

The image Of PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.

Thus the superior man,

· when he stands alone, Is unconcerned, And

· if he has to renounce the world, He is undaunted.

· Extraordinary times when the great preponderates are like

· flood times when the lake rises over the treetops.

But such conditions are temporary.

The two trigrams indicate the attitude proper to such exceptional times:

· the symbol of the trigram Sun is the tree,

o which stands firm even though it stands alone, and

· the attribute of Tui is joyousness,

o which remains undaunted even if it must renounce the world.

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:

To spread white rushes underneath.

No blame.

When

a man wishes to undertake an enterprise in extraordinary times,

he must be extraordinarily cautious,

just as

when setting a heavy thing down on the floor,

one takes care to put rushes under it, so that nothing will break.

This caution, though it may seem exaggerated, is not a mistake.

Exceptional enterprises cannot succeed unless utmost caution is observed

· in their beginnings and

· in the laying of their foundations.

0 Nine in the second place means:

· A dry poplar sprouts at the root.

· An older man takes a young wife.

Everything furthers.

Wood is near water; hence

the image of an old poplar sprouting at the root.

This means

an extraordinary reanimation of the processes of growth.

In the same way,

an extraordinary situation arises when an older man marries

a young girl who suits him.

Despite the unusualness of the situation, all goes well.

From the point of view of politics, the meaning is that

in exceptional times one does well to join with the lowly,

for this affords a possibility of renewal.

Nine in the third place means:

The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.

Misfortune.

This indicates a type of

man who in times of preponderance of the great insists on pushing ahead.

He accepts no advice from others, and therefore

they in turn are not willing to lend him support.

Because of this

the burden grows, until the structure of things bends or breaks.

Plunging willfully ahead in times of danger only hastens the catastrophe.

0 Nine in the fourth place means:

The ridgepole is braced.

Good fortune.

If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating.

Through friendly relations with people of lower rank,

a responsible man succeeds in becoming master of the situation.

But

· if, instead of working for the rescue of the whole,

· he were to misuse his connections to obtain personal power and success,

it would lead to humiliation.

Nine in the fifth place means:

· A withered poplar puts forth flowers.

· An older woman takes a husband.

· No blame.

· No praise.

· A withered poplar that flowers exhausts its energies thereby and only hastens its end.

· An older woman may marry once more, but no renewal takes place.

Everything remains barren.

Thus, though all the amenities are observed,

the net result is only the anomaly of the situation.

Applied to politics,

the metaphor means that if in times of insecurity we

· give up alliance with those below us and

· keep up only the relationships we have with people of higher rank,

an unstable situation is created.

Six at the top means:

One must go through the water.

It goes over one's head.

Misfortune.

No blame.

Here is a situation in which the unusual has reached a climax.

One is courageous and wishes to accomplish one's task, no matter what happens.

This leads into danger.

The water rises over one's head.

This is the misfortune.

But one incurs no blame in giving up one's life that the good and the right may prevail.

There are things that are more important than life.

28 PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing the Preponderance of the Great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success.

Hexagram 28 is one of the Hexagrams, which are part of the lesser side of the YIN. We can picture it in terms of a clock with the YANG force going down from the right hand side from 12 to 3 to 6 and the YIN force going up on the left hand side from 6 to 9 to 12. We can place this corporation between 9 and 12.

The Preponderance of the Great Time-Space refers to a very successful corporation, which is going through extraordinary times; however, its success has been dependent upon a particular item – whether it is in the form of particular product, supplier, customer or employees. Such extraordinary times require the CEO make extraordinary changes to keep it profitable.

These are very favorable times for the corporation because they are due to cyclicality (Heaven sent). It would appear that nothing could stop the corporation. However, these favorable times tend to be short lived. The situation is very dangerous, so much so that if left unattended it will definitely lead to the collapse of the corporation.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The Superior CEO knows that:

1) To rely on any particular item for the corporation’s success would create a dangerous dependence on such item.

2) The key to reducing this risk lies on his ability to manage the diversification process because the times require the CEO make substantial changes in the corporation.

3) The diversification should be made cautiously - not in a revolutionary way but rather in a progressive and gradual way – by gentle penetration.

4) The times of the Preponderance of the Great are temporary. He must diversify to ensure the corporation’s survival.

The Superior CEO knows he has excellent chances for success provided he:

1) Diversifies the responsibility. This would ensure the corporation’s success would not rest on the shoulder of a single group, product, customers, or supplier. For instance, in the case when the corporation’s success is due to a particular group of employees, the CEO must get Human Resources to work as quickly as possible to redistribute the responsibility and create a more balanced situation. This would strengthen all the employees’ position in the corporation and avoid its collapse.

2) Is firm when making changes. The Superior CEO does not stop making changes for fear his actions would revert in a hostile manner against the corporation. For instance, in the case the corporation’s success is due to a particular group of employees, the CEO should not fear a strike or a takeover when reassigning jobs because this small group of employees does not have much power not matter how successful they have been in the past.

3) Works to strengthen the corporation’s greatest weakness. For instance, in the case a small group of mid-level employees is responsible for the success of the corporation: the greatest weakness would lie on its lower ranking employees and its top management, while the greatest strength would lie in the middle where all the competent employees are. In this case, even though he knows this middle has all the characteristics to continue to keep this corporation a winning one, his main concern should be to rebalance such “Preponderance of the Great” by strengthening the weaker managerial levels.

4) Uses incentives rather than force when making changes. In the case a small group of employees is responsible for the success of the corporation the Superior CEO knows that these same employees he has to reassign are the ones who are responsible for the success of the corporation. Thus he is very careful in how he sells the idea of reassigning the people on whom he relies for his own success. The Superior CEO does not use force when changing what makes the corporation successful. This is particularly true when dealing with intelligent employees. The answer lies in appreciation, communication and rewards. This is time for the carrot not the stick.

5) Realizes the solution does not lie on the sudden elimination of the incompetent employees, because it could give way to the complete collapse of a particular management level. The way out is to “transform” if possible the weaker levels and to convert them into a working team, but not by force but by creating the necessary conditions for the best to remain, and by default or by lack of rewards to eliminate the incompetent. This will bring the best men to the corporation and in time will strengthen the corporate structure.

6) Maintains a positive attitude – to stand for his beliefs even if no one else will support him. The I Ching speaks of this attitude as one of a tree standing firm even if alone, and of joy rather than fear even if giving up the world.

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space is not the best of times to invest. How could it be if there is too much weight in the middle and a lack of corporate balance?

By itself (no lines) the Hexagram is relatively positive because it points to the possibility of success but provided one has somewhere to go.

PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.

The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.

It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

Success.

The weight of the great is excessive. The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports. The ridgepole, on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point, because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear. It is an exceptional time and situation; therefore extraordinary measures are demanded. It is necessary to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and to take action. This promises success. For although the strong element is in excess, it is in the middle, that is, at the center of gravity, so that a revolution is not to be feared. Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures.

The problem must be solved by gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation (as is suggested by the attribute of the inner trigram, Sun); then the change-over to other conditions will be successful. It demands real superiority; therefore the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.

It presents one Good Fortune opportunity in the Fourth line. The second line presents a reasonable opportunity. The rest of the lines point to the inability of the CEO to manage the Preponderance of the Great.

THE LINES:

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the Preponderance of the Great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success – properly applying excessive caution.

Managerial Lesson: Be cautious.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the Superior CEO initiates the rebalancing (diversification) of the corporation to lower its dependence on a single item for its success.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO recognizes that at this first stage, he must apply extraordinary caution when managing through these extraordinary times. He knows extraordinary caution is the proper attitude even if it would appear to be too exaggerated. In the case a small group of employees is responsible for the success of the corporation, the Superior CEO will protect the corporation by rebalancing the “preponderance” with an intense training program for the younger employees. He will do it with caution because of the extraordinary times the corporation is living under.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the preponderance of the great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success– wisely reaching out for the lower ranks.

Managerial Lesson: Be motivational.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the CEO takes the corporation through a time of “an extraordinary reanimation of the processes of growth.”

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO places great emphasis in the education and stimulation of the corporation’s employees, especially the lower ranking ones. He understands it is imperative that the more knowledgeable/capable employees must educate the less knowledgeable/capable ones so as to create a single winning team given the less capable ones cannot do the job by themselves. The Superior CEO ensures the education program’s success and completion by compensating the more capable ones for their participation.

Investment Advice: Invest.

NINE IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the Preponderance of the Great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success – failing to listen.

Managerial Lesson: Be attentive/listen.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the CEO fails to listen to the warning of danger. He willfully plunges ahead in the rebalancing of the corporation. He and his top executives fail to pay attention to the needs or to the recommendations of the few employees who are making this corporation a success (those who have the Preponderance). Instead, he continues to rely on this group for the corporation’s success but without paying attention to their demands. The result is placing too much responsibility on the group to make the corporation a success while insulting them with outright rejection and complete lack of support. This excess of weigh will only lead to failure, and top management’s policies will fall by their own weigh.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO listens, particularly to those who are making the corporation a success. He recognizes merit specially when he is rebalancing the corporation’s responsibilities.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the preponderance of the great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success – successfully reaching out to the lower ranks.

Managerial Lesson: Be friendly.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the CEO makes sure he has the corporation’s success in mind and not his own personal gain.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO uses a friendly attitude to win over the good will and the support of the groups not participating in the corporation’s success. This friendly attitude creates the right atmosphere for their education and their preparation for their future challenges. In this way he relieves pressure from the smaller group achieving success. The Superior CEO first wins the trust of those groups that have been left out and then gently persuades them to carry out their goals.

Investment Advice: Invest.

NINE IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the Preponderance of the Great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success – failing to reach the lower ranks, maintaining relations with the higher ranks only.

Managerial Lesson: Be balanced.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the CEO and his top management fail to win over the good will and the support of those groups not participating in the corporation’s success. He fails to both create the right atmosphere for their education and to relieve pressure from the smaller group responsible for the corporation’s success. This gives rise to a strange bond between the not so capable and the very small group of producers which will, in turn, create a serious lack of balance within the corporation.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO reaches out for the other group of producers, and establishes a relationship of trust with lower management and the lower ranking employees to persuade and educate them. He knows this would be very productive for the corporation.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the Preponderance of the Great – a risky corporate imbalance or dependence on a single item for its success– forcefully fixing the corporation’s imbalance.

Managerial Lesson: Be measured.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Preponderance of the Great Time-Space, the CEO recognizes the corporation’s unusual imbalance and tries to force radical changes. He fails to listen to the other points of views.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO knows forced measures are not THE TAO because such measures would only show his lack of humility and would only serve to inflate his ego. This is the beginning of the corporation’s downfall. The Superior CEO understands that even if his motives are noble in pushing his points of view to achieve success, those motives do not give him the right to humiliate the rest of the employees.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.