One + July 2011 - (Page 46)

> > CO M P E T I T I V E E D G E rather imply that they have “competitive advantage” or “competitive edge,” so that they seem decisive in knowing how to get results. In the end, competition is really quite simple. You win or you lose. And even losing can sometimes be winning, as long as it’s recognized quickly and adjustments are made. Quoth John W. Holt Jr., co-author of Celebrate Your Mistakes, “If you’re not making mistakes in business, you’re not taking risks, and that means you’re not going anywhere. The secret is to recognize mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more changes to learn and win.” 2. They’re not keeping score. Think you’re a success? You actually only know what has worked best in the past. Being competitive means you want to be better tomorrow than you are today. For every decision you make, there is always a better way. In order to earn success, you must urgently focus on what worked, what didn’t work and what adjustments need to be made to accomplish the tasks at hand. There is no escape from challenge, and our competitive business climate will ultimately determine who wins and who loses. How you act will determine your success. Are you in it to win it? Take the challenge with me each month in this column. DEBORAH GARDNER, CMP < < THERE ARE TWO REASONS WHY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLE TO FIND SUCCESS. 1. They don’t understand the concept of competition. They talk about it, but mostly pretend it doesn’t exist. They know it’s there, but can’t see it because it’s not tangible, which implies it can’t be controlled (though it can). Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover once said, “Competition is not only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to progress.” First, you have to know how busi46 ARE YOU IN IT TO WIN IT? ness rivalries work. Some economists say that competition is essentially the formation of opinion and the spreading of information through which people discover what is important to them. Others say competition is a contest through which ﬁrms strive to be better than their rivals or set prices or other conditions. Ah! Complicated explanations: just one of the reasons people fear the very concept of competition. They’d DEBORAH GARDNER, CMP, is a competitive performance expert who challenges companies, organizations and individuals to think and act. She is a past president of the MPI Arizona Sunbelt Chapter and a member of the National Speakers Association. Visit www.DeborahGardner.com. one+ 07.11 http://www.DeborahGardner.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of One + July 2011

One + July 2011
Contents
Energy of Many
Impressions
Paradigm Shifts, Part II
Web Watch
Agenda
Thoughts+Leaders
Ask the Experts
Recognizing Community and Organizational Excellence
Overheard
Art of Travel
The Prism Effect
Top Spots
Connections
Irrelevant
Using New Tech for Old Purposes
So You Think You Can Dance
Don’t Use Tech You Don’t Understand
Are You In It to Win It?
Anything is Possible
Night of the Radishes
Well Played
When People Come Together, Magic Happens
Size Matters
Building a Better FAM
One Bar at a Time
MPI + CSR
Industry Insights
Your Community
Making a Difference
Until We Meet Again

One + July 2011