It's a Competition, Not a Tea Party

“You play to win the game.”

Former NY Jets coach Herm Edwards fired off that gem in the midst of a post-game rant. That quote should hang in every locker room and in every corporate boardroom and cubicle in America. Every business owner should say those words aloud to start the day.

“You play to win the game.”

Todd Defren’s fascinating observation that “Google is the new GM” reminds us that you don’t succeed in business by playing to survive. You must play to dominate. At a time when GM and Chrysler (and to a lesser extent, Ford) are desperately searching for ways to survive, Google is finding ways to beat crush its competitors in every aspect of the game.

“You play to win the game.”

Yes, PR is evolving, and marketing, too. There’s more and more focus on conversing with customers rather than talking at them. And this is good. But marketing still is, and always will be, about attracting customers, making sales, and beating the competition.

“You play to win the game.”

In business, there are winners and losers. It’s a COMPETITION, not a tea party. While co-opetition works as a situational play call, there is no room in capitalism for mutual survival in perpetuity. Somebody must close up shop. Somebody must lose the game. This game does not end in a tie.

“You play to win the game.”

Competition doesn’t make you mean-spirited. It doesn’t call for dehumanizing your opponent, or leaving him penniless. It simply means you play to win. Two opposing quarterbacks shake hands before and after a game. They may even get together for beers or vacation together with their wives in Tahoe. But between the hashes, the goal is total domination of the opponent.

“You play to win the game.”

2008 is drawing to a close. The off-season is here. It’s time to strengthen your business roster via free agency or the draft. What are YOU doing to make your team more competitive in 2009?

http://newmedialisa.com Lisa Hoffmann

I love this Scott, because so many clients are afraid to take on the competition for fear of somehow offending them. Baffling to me but true. “There is no room in capitalism for mutual survival in perpetuity.”

So true! Only the strong survive.
http://newmedialisa.com Lisa Hoffmann

I love this Scott, because so many clients are afraid to take on the competition for fear of somehow offending them. Baffling to me but true. “There is no room in capitalism for mutual survival in perpetuity.”

So true! Only the strong survive.
http://www.travelinreid.com Reid Williams

Scott,
I'm a new subscriber to your blog and have been enjoying catching up with your posts, this recent one included: I definitely play to win, and spending the holidays gathered around numerous game boards with the family reinforced the origins of that attitude for me.

I have to object to some of the corrolaries, however. “Crushing” the competition, “domination” and “no room for mutual survival” are helpful mantras, I think, in the locker-room or in any other zero-sum game where there are only two players and a scoreboard. There is no business like this, though, and it sounds like the antiquated conversation of my father's boardroom.

My personal and professional philosophy is, instead, based on an abundance mentality (vs. scarcity) — that a rising tide floats all boats, that it is better to have a smaller piece of a big pie than all of a tiny one.

This seems to be a value eagerly embraced by the generation coming up behind me (I'm 35) and what to me is driving the growth in social media and other connectivistic aspects of modern work and life.

And, to close with a question: If a business puts all that energy and focus into satisfying customers (i.e. listening, innovating and delivering), do you really have to worry about the competition?
http://www.travelinreid.com Reid Williams

Scott,
I'm a new subscriber to your blog and have been enjoying catching up with your posts, this recent one included: I definitely play to win, and spending the holidays gathered around numerous game boards with the family reinforced the origins of that attitude for me.

I have to object to some of the corrolaries, however. “Crushing” the competition, “domination” and “no room for mutual survival” are helpful mantras, I think, in the locker-room or in any other zero-sum game where there are only two players and a scoreboard. There is no business like this, though, and it sounds like the antiquated conversation of my father's boardroom.

My personal and professional philosophy is, instead, based on an abundance mentality (vs. scarcity) — that a rising tide floats all boats, that it is better to have a smaller piece of a big pie than all of a tiny one.

This seems to be a value eagerly embraced by the generation coming up behind me (I'm 35) and what to me is driving the growth in social media and other connectivistic aspects of modern work and life.

And, to close with a question: If a business puts all that energy and focus into satisfying customers (i.e. listening, innovating and delivering), do you really have to worry about the competition?
http://herbal-tea-remedy.com Herbal Tea Remedy

competition makes the world go round, i welcome it as it really improves everyone involved