This post is about competition. I believe competition in games and sport has its rightful place. We enjoy watching people win, especially when it’s our team, and the heightened inner state that occurs when we achieve our goals is a glorious experience. But when it comes at the expense of others, competition can seem displaced. Often we find that our competitive instincts are not used for the common good.
Here’s a good example. One of my clients purchased a significant piece of software to help them manage their sales teams and processes. This software was going to enhance their sales operations, enable their sales people to be more efficient, and it would have direct impact on their customers. The software company was smart enough to tailor their product to the customer.
A year later, my client discovered that the same software company was selling their products to their competition. Of course, my client had no control over who they sold their products to, but they were extremely disgruntled when they discovered their customized product fit nicely into their competitors hands.
Think about how my client would have a difficult time recommending to anyone that they buy that company’s software. Due to the competitive nature of business, I think the software company sacrificed a long term relationship and good referrals because it opted for a short term benefit by giving the competition the same software.
I think it’s a good exercise to take a look at what we’re competing for and why. Do you find yourself getting overly aggressive with your fellow team mates just to be able to have this month’s best numbers? Is the thing you’re competing for worth it? Perhaps you’re competing for a promotion or more attention from your boss or a family member. Have you ever competed in a passive aggressive way by withholding information from someone?
Kathleen