This post is designed to be an intersection between cultural norms, intelligence services (spy stuff), and even financial services tactics.
This article came up in my feed this morning, discussing how the KGB potentially was courting Trump as long ago as 1987.
I’m not interested in the politics involved in this at all, I do not really care either way. It’s more a discussion about the tactics that are involved in this sort of thing.
I will say that I was targeted by overseas spy services in various parts of my career. It’s true, and the conversations are pretty blunt, I’ll tell you that. Not because of who I was or what access I had back then as a government advisor, but more because of what they thought I might be in the future.
I really admire the KGB/SVR and the MSS (the Chinese equivalent of the CIA). They play the long game. They have patience. The Chinese doctrine is, imagine what you want for your country, and then wait patiently for the right time to strike. If that time is 10 years from now, fine.
Here in the Untied States, the culture is more cowboy style — if we want something done, we want it done yesterday. I’m completely part of that mindset having spent nearly 40 years born and raised in the US. But I really came to respect the approach other cultures take.
There are a few exceptions to the impatient, cowboy approach that are interesting. At a large investment bank that I used to work with, what I was always astounded by was their approach to a potentially big client that makes both light bulbs and jet engines.
While every other bank was courting the existing CEO, lavish dinners, etc. This bank was courting the number 2 guy in the organization. The guy that isn’t in charge today, but will likely be in charge in 5 years. That was eye opening to me, and is a fantastic example of playing the long game.
Also, they won it in the end. It was a good lesson, and an even more lucrative outcome for this bank. But you just had to wait.
