Playing a positive sum game
Last week I attended a seminar, where I met people who are in my industry as coaches. It was a big learning experience as I interacted with them and exchanged ideas. On reflection, I realized business competition need not be a zero-sum game. Unlike war or sports where a single winner emerges, in business, it is a positive sum game. The secret sauce to creating a positive sum game is finding our uniqueness and the value that our business can create for our customers.
“I never think in terms of how we can compete against the other companies; rather, our primary focus is to make consumers feel the uniqueness and attractiveness of our products.” – Satoru Iwata, Japanese businessman, video game designer, and producer
Our hidden strength
The best way to realize our hidden strength is by genuinely serving someone. When we serve someone
1) We open ourselves to being vulnerable to other’s pain
2) We are no more alone. Our consciousness expands where the other is a part of us
3) Our ego gives way for us to take steps that we earlier shied away
“You don’t realize how strong you are until you have to help someone else stand up” – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Expressing gratitude to your team
As the year draws to a close, you are thankful for many good things that came your way. Expressing your gratitude towards the people who have supported you requires thoughtfulness. When thanking your team, focus on the person and the impact of their presence, not just on their performance and the outcomes they created.
“Gratitude is one of the most powerful human emotions. Once expressed, it changes attitude, brightens outlook and broadens our perspective.” ― Germany Kent, Author of The Hope Handbook