Sun Tzu on planning without waste
“In planning, never a useless move; in strategy, no step taken in vain.” — Sun Tzu
If you’re like most owners I know, you’re busy almost all the time. Being busy doesn’t always mean being productive. Days get filled with tasks that feel urgent but don’t contribute to long-term success. Sun Tzu’s point is that every action, whether in planning or execution, should serve a purpose.
That challenges us to be intentional with every decision. In planning, it means making sure every element contributes to the bigger picture. In execution, it means that every step takes the business closer to its goals. Wasted effort is wasted opportunity.
Stop doing what doesn’t work
Sounds obvious. It’s easy to keep doing things because “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Holding onto what doesn’t work drains your time, money, and energy. Sun Tzu’s “no useless moves” asks us to evaluate every process, project, and activity. If it doesn’t contribute to your goals, it’s time to let it go.
A café owner I know had been running a midweek free-coffee promotion for years. It brought a small spike in foot traffic. An analysis showed that most of the participants were one-time visitors who didn’t return. Regular customers weren’t taking advantage of the deal. The owner scrapped the promotion and redirected the resources into a loyalty rewards program for regulars. Within three months, repeat visits increased by 15%.
This week, write down three activities, campaigns, or processes that seem like busywork or aren’t producing results. Pick one to streamline, delegate, or eliminate this month.
Plan with precision
Planning isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters. A good plan eliminates distractions and focuses only on actions that line up with your larger goals.
A bookstore owner I worked with wanted to host regular author events. She started with a weekly schedule across genres. Turnout was inconsistent. The results didn’t justify the effort. After reassessing, she narrowed the focus to children’s book events, which consistently drew larger crowds. She built a calendar of themed storytimes, activity kits, and family-friendly snacks. The bookstore grew its reputation as a family destination and revenue rose.
Review your current strategy. Identify one area where the effort feels scattered. Narrow the focus to one clear objective and prioritize it.
Execute without wasting resources
Even the best plan will fail if execution is sloppy or inefficient. Be deliberate. Every step should contribute meaningfully to your goals.
A bakery I know wanted to expand into delivery. Instead of launching citywide immediately, they tested the concept in one neighborhood. A limited menu. A partnership with a delivery platform to simplify logistics. Feedback gathered during the test. Adjustments made before expanding. The result was a smooth rollout and a steady new revenue stream.
Identify your next big initiative and break it into smaller, testable steps. What’s one small-scale test you can run to gather feedback before committing fully?
Focus on the 20% that drives 80%
Sun Tzu’s efficiency principle lines up closely with the 80/20 rule. Twenty percent of your effort typically drives 80% of your results. The job is identifying and amplifying the high-impact actions and minimizing the rest.
Revenue. Identify your top-performing products or services and focus marketing there.
Customers. Build relationships with the top 20% of your customers who generate the majority of revenue.
Time. Prioritize high-value tasks. Delegate or drop the rest.
Marketing channels. Focus on the few that yield the most leads.
An inn I know discovered that 20% of its offerings — its wellness retreats — accounted for 80% of its revenue. Instead of spreading resources across less popular packages, they doubled down on the bestsellers. Bookings increased. Margins improved.
Run an 80/20 analysis on your business. Identify one high-impact area to prioritize and one low-impact activity to reduce or eliminate this quarter.
Measure with meaningful metrics
Not all metrics are created equal. It’s easy to get distracted by ones that look good but don’t drive growth.
A café I know was tracking Instagram followers. It wasn’t driving sales. The owner shifted focus to customer retention and average ticket size, launched targeted loyalty campaigns, and profits rose 20% over six months.
Look at the metrics you’re tracking. Eliminate one that doesn’t directly support your goals and replace it with something actionable. Customer retention. Repeat business. Average order value.
Build a culture of purposeful planning
Purposeful planning isn’t just for leadership. It needs to be part of how the team thinks. When everyone understands the value of focus, your business operates at a higher level. Employees start thinking critically about how their contributions move the business.
A café I know introduced a weekly “Focus Fifteen.” The team spent fifteen minutes each week identifying inefficiencies and brainstorming solutions. Faster inventory management followed. Customer service improved. New ideas for engagement surfaced.
Set aside time this week to review a specific process with your team. Identify one inefficiency. Brainstorm a fix.
Your next steps
Sun Tzu’s wisdom isn’t just about avoiding waste. It’s about winning by focusing on what matters most. Every plan, decision, and action should line up with your goals.
Audit your business for wasted activities or resources. Use the 80/20 rule to prioritize high-impact actions. Break large projects into smaller steps and test before scaling. Engage your team in identifying inefficiencies and brainstorming improvements.
Every wasted move costs time, money, and energy. Purposeful action builds progress.
About the Author
Ron Tester is a physical therapist with thirty years in the field. He built, grew, and operated a multidisciplinary home health company employing PTs, OTs, and SLPs through a successful exit. He now coaches outpatient PT, OT, and SLP clinic owners on operating at the owner level. Certified Executive Coach and Book Yourself® Solid Coach. Learn more at https://rontestercoaching.com/about.