* “Look at what they are doing”…
* “Wow they are so much better than we are”…
* “Why can’t we do things like them?”…
Sound familiar? If not, pay attention because I’m not sure you are listening.
The quotes above can be heard daily. Ringing loudly from just about every team meeting being held in every board room around the world.
Just what are these mysterious little quips?
From afar I would suggest these phrases are coming from bored children or the losing varsity football team. To that I would say, “Close,” but not quite.
These envious little dialogues are far more problematic. These words resonate beneath the skin of leaders and business owners everywhere as they suck the life out of their employees.
These words while small, represent a systemic organizational dysfunction that comes from paying entirely too much attention to what the competition is doing, and consequentially taking your eye off of executing your own strategy.
If you listen closely you hear it all of the time. Employees, Managers, and Executives alike are infatuated with the competition. Watching their every move, obsessing over what they are thinking, and trying to always stay one step ahead.
While a noble intent, the plan is flawed. Here is why…
UNTIL WE ARE EXECUTING OUR OWN PLAN SUCCESSFULLY, IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE COMPETITION IS DOING.
So here is my suggestion. Stop worrying so much about what the competition is doing.
Yup, that is right, I’m saying take the eye off the competitor…For now.
The point here is not to say that the competition doesn’t matter. Trust me when I say; it does. Every strategy text book ever written would tell you this. They dedicate an entire section to “Competitive Forces.”
However, what the books don’t point out is that the importance of outside influencers are diminished exponentially if you aren’t executing your own plan.
The Suggestion?
Know your market, know your competitor, know your business…but execute first!
Once you are doing everything right on your end, then you can worry about everyone else. But for now, “Run Your Own Race” – Anonymous.
