Competition Crystal Consider competitive behavior in business. You can group it into three categories and three different approaches, which determines the quality of your relationships and your growth potential.

1.  External; how you choose to focus on people and organizations that offer similar services

2.  Internal; how you view and interact with others inside your organization 

3.  Individual; your internal dialogue for your own growth or individual performance 

Within each of these three areas: external, internal or individual, competition can destroy, limit potential, or give you opportunities for extraordinary personal and professional growth, depending on your perspective. 

The first view is the traditional win-lose or the “all or nothing” approach. It is based on conflict, animosity and a fear of scarcity.

The second perspective is the win-win approach which tries to make everyone a winner, but is still based on scarcity. So, people “go along to get along”; this approach is frustrating because it limits potential. With this approach, you’re trying to split the same size pie, and everyone just gets a smaller piece.  No one really feels like a winner, but it’s an improvement over the first approach.

Then there’s a more enlightened approach, one that sees competition as collaboration to “grow the pie”. You work together to make it bigger, so everyone gets more. This approach is based on growth, mutual respect and a belief in abundance. It’s transformational and evolutionary and can lead to exceptional growth and fulfillment that goes beyond the bottom line.

The approach we use determines the quality of the results we attract. Many people unconsciously adopt an approach based on what they’ve observed or have been taught. However, by simply becoming aware that you can change your thinking about competition… gives you the ability to consciously choose a different approach, one that helps you transform and grow in ways you may not have imagined.

So, you have a choice about how to grow your business and build your team. You can use the traditional approach - win/lose, or try to placate using a win-win approach, or you can choose to create a bigger pie.

Here’s to an awesome journey!

laura_sig1.jpg

The graphic, ”Competition” is from The Secret Life of Water by Masaru Emoto    

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© 2007 Laura Cardone, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from this article in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. The attribution should read:”By Laura Cardone of Profits with Purpose Inc. Please visit her web site at www.motivation-at-work.com for more articles and resources.” Please let me know where the material will appear . Many thanks!