Asakura Clan House Code - Law #11 | Part 11 of 17 Article Series
ORIGINAL TEXT:
Do not appoint a ronin from another province as your keeper of records, unless you are pressed for such services.
MODERN INTERPRETATION:
Trust critical & vulnerable tasks to those with great loyalty to you, and with the right abilities. Only outsource or contract out such critical tasks if you’re under pressure (lack of time, money, or ability to develop someone internal). And if you DO have to outsource it, watch them closely.
If “Loyalty is First,” why Outsource Critical Vulnerable Tasks?
The 11th Law of the House of Asakura outlines the priority of loyalty above ability, especially with critical and vulnerable administrative needs. Asakura Toshikage believed the Asakura Clan should not appoint a masterless Samurai (Ronin) - essentially a Samurai for hire - to “keep records” for the Asakura Clan, unless there was an urgent need.
What were “records” to a Samurai Clan in the 1400s? Were they financial records, historical records, family records, or all?
Appointing (employing) a Ronin (contractor) from another province (company) as your keeper of records (critical & vulnerable tasks) is likely not a good idea, unless you are pressed for such services (don’t have money or time to build the right person up to do it, and you really need something done quickly).
Who keeps your Records determines your History
There is a saying that “history is written by the victors,” which is not necessarily true, but there is wisdom in this statement.
If you choose to allow your historical records, your story, to be written by an individual outside of your Clan, then your story may not be written with the same integrity, accuracy, and perhaps even without the right message.
Why Building Up your OWN Team is Important
Loyalty is important when giving access to financial records. Many people would think this obvious, but consider how many companies outsource or contract out their financial departments. There are often news stories about accounting fraud.
When you employ someone who doesn’t know you and doesn’t share your goals, it’s difficult to trust that person with critical matters, despite their expertise.
Another example you see in modern times is that companies are shifting towards hiring their own, in-house, social media specialists. They want people within their own “houses” to keep their “historical records.”
Investing in, and building up your Clan, was a recurring theme from Asakura Toshikage.
NEXT ARTICLE IN THE SERIES: A PREVIEW
The next article, Law #12, is regarding the critical importance of loyalty, and contains perhaps a secret message. We must remember that Samurais were warriors and were devoted to ensuring the safety of their clans, even to the point of going to large scale warfare to the death with other clans. If we read between the lines of Code #12, there may be a hidden meaning.