Competition in Business: Is it Healthy?
These days many businesses are driven by the ‘competitor’, with the idea that a little ‘healthy’ competition never hurt anyone being deeply embedded within society. But where does this concept of competition being ‘healthy’ come from?
For thousands of years competition has been the rocket fuel behind many a war. Wars between countries, clans, religious and or political groups, families, even those that exist in our one on one relationships. The reality is, competition has never collectively got us anywhere positive. Perhaps it has made a winner or winners feel good about themselves, and maybe this is where some feel competition is ‘healthy’, but when this feeling of elation or success is at the expense of another or others, then at the end of the day, has it truly served anyone?
Where is the health in one gaining at the expense of another?
So lets look at the reality of competition and what it truly fosters….
1. Competition always places one against another (as in the case of competitive sports that promote what is called a little ‘healthy aggression’).
2. Competition always ends in one being seen as better then another.
3. Competition fosters enjoyment and celebration in winning, at the expense of course of a loser
4. Competition fuels argument and at times even violence and has been doing so for aeons.
5. Competition encourages people to feel good about themselves for something they have achieved rather then fostering a true sense of worth for who one is, not what they can achieve.
Lets face it, competition is not healthy, and never will it be so.
In Business this gets interesting. Obviously there are many businesses within the same industries ‘competing’ for work. But is it possible we actually ‘collaborate’ and ‘inspire’ one another rather then compete? And if so, what would that look like — businesses working together, referring to one another as needed, knowing who has the right skills to support particular client.
Can we not focus on what it is we are bringing and offering, and appreciate that of the so called ‘competitor rather then always looking to outdo them. This may be an old fashioned value being expressed here, but isn’t this way of approaching business be a simple act of respect and human decency.
Competition is so out of date….its definitely time for something new!
