Collaboration not Competition

Baby boomers were raised to compete. They vied for everything from spelling bees to who could be the coolest. Today’s children are raised to believe that showing up is enough. Every child on a team gets a ribbon or trophy regardless of effort. As in all things, reality lies somewhere in the middle.

The Boomer’s competitive focus on their perceived competition was about winning but not about excellence. A competitive focus is outward directed. Everything the other guy does is a threat, something to act against. There are inherent problems with this mind set. It presumes that you have nothing to learn; winning is everything; and the other guy has the potential to beat you.

In spite of a Quaker upbringing Richard Nixon was the poster boy for professional competitiveness. He had a successful first term as President. He was a shoe-in for re-election. But during the campaign season he took his eye off of his strengths and weaknesses. He turned his focus on George McGovern. It wasn’t enough to beat him; Nixon wanted to annihilate McGovern. When annihilation became the goal principles and ethics fell by the wayside. A smart man with unparalleled skills threw away his legacy to compete against someone who had little chance to win.

Collaboration is cross-focused. It presumes that that someone in your market or others with a similar business offering might have something to proffer that could enhance your business. It presumes that by joining forces you could enhance both of your businesses. We have many wonderful collaboration models in our market. The Historic Inns of Rockland work together to drive calendar events and to promote their businesses. Maine wineries sponsor a state wide wine trail that features all of the wineries. Our art galleries do simultaneous openings to maximize viewing of shown artists’ works. The businesses mentioned collaborate to minimize costs and to maximize exposure. They join forces to set quality standards and customer satisfaction levels. They learn from and teach each other.

It’s about everyone winning but unlike the trophies for everyone crowd it’s about more than showing up. It means doing your best and sharing your knowledge. It’s an exchange of ideas and constructive criticism. It’s about being an individual and a team player. It’s about winning in a new way.