Collaboration, Not Competition, Breeds Success
It is clear that “business as usual” is changing for the good in the US as well as abroad. Through this blog, the folks at Re-Vision Labs be writing a lot about the redefinition of doing business in the world – to focus on true sustainability, create valuable and lasting connections among communities, and harness the power of online networks to foster stronger in-person connections. But there is one key piece of the puzzle that is paramount to the success of future businesses in the US, which has fallen off the radar until now: collaboration.
It sounds woo-woo. We know. But the truth is, it’s critical to moving forward in a new direction, and we believe it will build better businesses in the end.
In the past, competition has been the standard business practice in order to stay ahead of the pack. Fueled by Darwinian dreams, corporations have striven to be the strongest, the one to make the most money, and the one with the most customers. All efforts are put into edging out the competition, one-upping one another with fancy sales tactics, and wooing customers away from one another in order to get their hands on the largest percentage of the pile as possible. This has given us a country of isolated businesses (both physically and socially) who have forgotten that their most valuable allies out in the business world are each other. From banks to car companies, we’re seeing the pitfalls of competitive business as we know it. Stepping on one another to get a step ahead has not proved to be a sustainable, successful method.
Here’s the silver lining to the current financial crisis: collaboration is making a comeback. Take local small business Biznik, for example. Their goal is to encourage small business collaboration to foster mutual growth, ever-chanting the “collaboration over competition” mantra. Innovation is now the centerpiece of business development, and collaboration is key to success. We teach the values of collaboration to students in school, knowing that social learning encourages students to succeed and learn more. So why is it that once faced with the world of business we have traditionally put on the boxing gloves and headed into the ring?
As we grow and develop Re-Vision Labs, we are constantly keeping our eye on how to collaborate with our local and national partners. How can we utilize collective knowledge to create solutions that make sense and strengthen not only independent businesses but the wider community as a whole? It is becoming more and more clear as time goes on that business success does not have to come at the sacrifice of community.
