Fostering Collaboration Among Competitors: A Sign of the Times
Prior to the financial collapse in 2008, competitors were threatened by one another. Period. Perfunctory handshakes represented the extent of competitive relationships. Since that time, I have observed a change in temperature among industry peers, vendors and business people in general. I find the new warmth completely refreshing and inspirational.
It seems that hard times have softened business people, or at least forced them to be more open-minded. Recently, I received an unwelcome solicitation from a service-provider. The salesperson convinced me to meet with she and the head of the company. As a result of the meeting, we are currently discussing ways to co-develop a product. Both companies will put in sweat equity and recoup the cost through sales. We are both striving to create a mutually beneficial relationship.
Not only is it smart to align with a company with differing capabilities, but also it turns out to be quite fun. That's right, I used the "F" word in a business article. This evolving business environment can be enjoyable and productive.
Fear Impedes Growth
Why do others threaten professionals who operate in the same or similar space? I think it is because we're all comfortable with what we know and do well. In order to improve our skills, advance our careers and ultimately grow our businesses, it's time to stretch and think differently. We impede our own growth. No one else has that much power over us, not even our competitors.
I run a conference and event management company. It dawned on me one day while I was meeting with a holistic product sales rep what an unlikely pair we were. How were we going to bridge the gap between our professions and create a win-win business scenario for both of us? The answers can be abundant. We began with a simple discussion that spawned idea generation and various networking opportunities for one another.
Collaborate Not Complicate
The examples I cited are emblematic of the potential we could all reach. Thus, I encourage you to rethink your approach to doing business and cultivating your network. By squelching the little voice inside your head that says "this is a waste of time", train that voice to say "I've never thought of it this way before; let's see where it might lead us." Share your stories; the movement is contagious. We are each responsible to collaborate – it doesn't need to be complicated.
Mary Adams, CMP, MBA owns Event Consulting Group, a conference and event management company. She is a speaker on the subject of entrepreneurship, marketing and meeting planning. To contact Mary, send an email to mary@eventgrp.com.
