By Kieron JH, Founder, The Reasonable Adjustment
October 25, 2025
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
If you have ever been ignored or fobbed off by a public body, charity, or corporate giant, you know the feeling. Most walk away. The rest fight with chaos. But there is a better way. It is as old as Sun Tzu: strategy, discipline, and clarity. Here is how I apply The Art of War to modern disputes—and how you can, too.
1. Know Yourself and Own Your Story
Sun Tzu taught that self-awareness is half the battle. When I approach a dispute, I am clear about my lived experience—autism, chronic illness, a criminal record. These are not weaknesses. They are facts that shape my perspective and give credibility. If you want your complaint taken seriously, state your context openly. The less you hide, the less they can use against you.
Action: Draft a short, honest summary of who you are and what you want. Lead with facts, not apologies.
2. Study the Landscape
Sun Tzu won by knowing the terrain. In modern disputes, that means reading policies, public statements, funding reports, and accountability claims. The loudest claims are often the weakest points. I dig into privacy notices and procedural guides and line up every contradiction between what is promised and what is delivered.
Action: Gather every policy and email you can. Archive them. Highlight discrepancies. Your strongest moves come from their own words.
3. Attack Where They Are Weak
Sun Tzu never wasted energy fighting the strong. He struck where the enemy was soft. Most people only argue with the first person who answers the phone. I go up the chain: trustees, MPs, funders, commissioners. Escalate your issue across and above. When your complaint becomes a system problem, the pressure multiplies.
Action: If you are stalled, copy in regulators, oversight bodies, and leadership. Make them witnesses, not bystanders.
4. Build a Fortress of Evidence
Never fight from memory. I keep every email, screenshot, and log of questionable activity. This is not paranoia—it is insurance. If they try to rewrite history, I bring receipts. You should too.
Action: Set up a dedicated folder for your dispute. Date and save everything. Your archive is your fortress.
5. Control the Tempo
Rushing leads to mistakes. Waiting too long leads to defeat. Sun Tzu balanced speed and patience. I work in phases—evidence, escalation, publication. I set deadlines, escalate calmly, and only go public when the ground is prepared. Institutions often reveal their weaknesses by how they delay or dodge.
Action: Track your communications. Give reasonable deadlines. Escalate with purpose, not panic. Let the system expose itself through its response times.
6. Win Without a Fight When Possible
The greatest victories come with the least shouting. When your evidence is sharp, your process is clear, and your escalation is public, organisations often fold without a dramatic showdown. Write as if a judge might read it. Offer solutions and let the other side dig their own hole if they ignore you.
Action: Keep your tone assertive but professional. Make every message something you would stand by in court or in the press.
Final Thought
Sun Tzu never dealt with GDPR, FOIs, or public sector dead ends. But his approach still wins: know yourself, know your enemy, and never fight unprepared. The Reasonable Adjustment proves you do not need a law degree to challenge institutions. You need evidence, strategy, and patience. Start today. If you need the playbook, you know where to find it.
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