Mon, September 21, 2009 - 12:03:35

Competition?  It’s as Easy as (Baking a Bigger) Pie!

Earlier this week, we read a thoughtful post on competition by the always-intriguing, Chris Brogan.  In his post, Brogan discusses a number of effective ways to succeed in the marketplace, from providing excellent customer care (like Zappos.com) to giving a valuable service for free (such as the free-to-read HARO newsletter).  And all this talk about competition got us thinking about one POWER OF NICE principle that has helped us to remain one of the top advertising agencies in the industry today.  When you’re looking to get your piece of the pie, sometimes the best thing to do is bake a bigger one.

While Brogan discusses the positive methods businesses can use in order to make their mark, in today’s dog-eat-dog business world, many of us still operate with the philosophy that we have to elbow out the competition in order to snag our piece of the pie.  Otherwise, you’ll just be left with the dried up crumbs.  But, we’ve learned from experience that that idea isn’t only outdated, it’s just plain wrong. 

In fact, you just might find that you can actually enjoy greater success when you work with your so-called enemies.  Sure, everyone has the natural desire to crush the competition, but some of the greatest successes in business have actually come out of some very unlikely partnerships.  Consider, for example, Sony and Samsung’s legendary joint venture.  Separately, each company battled to design the top selling flat screen television, but neither one was able to dominate the market.  So in a controversial move, the two joined forces on the S-LCD project that would revolutionize a market once flooded with plasma screens.  Working together, the two tech giants developed a new high-quality, yet cost effective LCD screen that became an instant hit with consumers, allowing both companies to enjoy a healthy slice of the pie.

And “baking a bigger pie” doesn’t just apply to companies competing against one another; it can actually help you to with your pseudo-competition at work or even at school.  For most of us, competition resides mainly in our minds, so when you change your perceptions you can revolutionize the way you perform at work.  And what better way to improve your productivity than to share the credit?  As Harry Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit.”  So give it a try and surprise yourself.  The next time you’re in a meeting and you suggest an idea, don’t guard it or insist on being right.  Instead, surrender your ownership and let the group run with it.  Chances are you will find that you not only benefit from an improved concept, you will build your relationships and strengthen your team.

Posted by Linda and Robin