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Are you pawn or king?

BROAD-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) has been playing in the fields of corporate battles for some time now.

Today if you cannot spell BEE acronyms and you are an entrepreneur with a staggered chess board, you will not lead the troops well. From corporates to network marketing businesses, black economic empowerment is the strategy tool when choosing to move.

But what could make you stumble is a lack of vision and confidence with third way politics that derail the traction to create a value-add proposition to put up a grandmaster package for new endeavours.

Chess is a great game; it requires much logic and thinking to outplay a competitor and BEE players can use the same ideology of logic and systematic thinking to influence great partnerships for their deals.

Because of the origin of position in the substance of chess, the fundamental context of an entrepreneur is to define his position in such a way that he can optimise advantages within the environment.

The truth is if an entrepreneur or a CEO cannot memorise the number of his chequered dimension (his own and his competitors' positions and movement in the marketplace), then how is he to warn of the security, risk and loss to his master?

Business development methodologies demand the same extensive intellectual depth and planning, with rapid response capabilities to rig the pattern of loss.

Think of it as being in a war field, where shelling is heavy and ammunition is quickly running out. The first thing that comes to mind is how do you reinforce or increase, what is your attack strategy and diversionary tactics?

Remember, the main purpose of strategy is to develop a series of differences in respective positions, and then allocate your resources around that.

Grachya Ovakimyan said: “Business Chess differs from traditional chess in that, in addition to the classical rules of the game, I have introduced the so-called rules of Branching, Passing and Selection of chess positions. As a result, chess acquires a qualitatively new form of a spectacular team business game.

"Moreover, possibility arises to use the strategical and tactical methods of Business Chess to analyze various social processes, including economic and political ones.

"There are all reasons to do so, because chess, similarly to economy and politics, is a many-stage competitive sphere of human activities with incomplete information and a high degree of risk."

The idea of taking on a BEE partner, just like an entrepreneur who thinks business is an esoteric activity, is high risk. BEE partners are easily flushed by the luxury and exclusivity that comes with success, which in the media is portrayed to be esoteric.

I often think that knowing how to find solutions in a way that has led me to this level of engagement is perceived to be a great accomplishment.

Of course the purpose of business is to assemble the best team that is not only capable of managing their own personalities but even more, completing a task successfully in a competitive environment while reaping the reward.

It is important that BEE partnerships mirror the different stages taken to realise the current strategic position of the business. With the acceleration of the business cycle and the management of information, it is important to predict future marketplace trends as you incorporate a new business facet.

For example, it should not take too long for the BEE partner to respond to the bottom line, or for them to be challenged in evaluating growth and impact to the bottom line.

Secondly, time in a war game like chess is critical. Hence allocating resources, both material and immaterial, will
gear up the correct momentum corollary to attacking, timing entry, timing withdrawal, international expansion, supply chain, use of cash flow and release of cautionary statements.

EMEs should know that taking initiative is as critical as what do you do with the time in your hands. A company
cannot sit on its laurels as if time is limitless.

Fortune 500 companies have taken initiatives to create markets by coming up with products that are relevant for the times we live in, to better manage social activity and give voice and access to platforms and networks that enhance personalities and image.

If a society can depend on your product to enhance its own image and seem superior to others, you are sure to cement your position as a fearless fighter.

In business warfare many companies become predators and use many of the strategies and tactics found in chess. Some stage battles and some create illusions to outwit the opponent. This means you will need to plan and think one step ahead by creating far-reaching networks for the eyes and ears required to gather critical information.

Lastly, it is important not to try and memorise every strategy you come up with because business is generic and its position changes continuously, as processes evolve with technology.

What the entrepreneur should do is learn the partner’s procurement ideology, structure and systems, protocols, ethics (i e reliability), business drivers, investment and purchasing concessions and relationships. In this way, your planning and initiatives as a new BEE partner are embodied into the existing personalities and business culture.

New business partners should continually engage in informal discussions, calculations of variations for necessary branching, selection and passing of ideas and solutions with business individuals to maintain a sustainable format and a winning combination.

B3 to E2 assimilates the horse movement, but of course you are free to decide which piece and in what direction to move first.

 - Fin24

*Colin Mashikinya is an associate at BEE Analyst and Associates. This article may be edited for republishing without prior consent but with acknowledgement to the author. The views expressed in the article are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the members of the association.

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