Competition Styles

In the numerous webinars, blog posts, and podcasts I’ve created through ISM, Connecting Dots, and the Finjan Show, I’ve constantly championed the idea of self-competition.

Competing with others should never be your focus.

What I’m trying to say is, our most significant effort should be to improve our past performances.

Sometimes, the business terrain might demand comparisons with colleagues in your field. However, I tend to lean towards collaboration because I believe there’s enough to go around for everyone, even though not everyone shares this sentiment.

Take our small 21-man operation, for example. Recently, we found ourselves up against two million-dollar companies when we submitted proposals for an entrepreneurship training program!

Neither the team nor I ever considered ourselves in the same league as these corporations — but evidently, the industry sees us on an equal footing. This revelation brings a mix of pride, humility, and a touch of fear, especially knowing we’re up against giants. But it also sparks hope that our work has elevated us to their level.

This specific proposal was for a small-scale project. I mistakenly assumed large organizations wouldn’t be interested. The truth is that the business landscape has shifted, and everyone is searching for opportunities.