Use the power of rivalry to energize your company

1. April 2010
The Power Of Rivalry
The Power Of Rivalry people to stop him", Bobby remarked. Jimmy
Hoffa was convicted in 1964 of jury tampering,
Great Rivalries attempted bribery and fraud in 1964 and
sentenced to 13 years in prison.
It was Friday, October 4, 1957. News leaked
rapidly that the Soviet Union had successfully Sports and Business
launched a satellite into low earth orbit. It was
now official. The Soviet Union was ahead of the It is well known that NASCAR drivers like to pace
United States in the drive to be the first to enter behind and "draft" off a lead car right up until the
space. Occurring close to the height of the Cold last lap of the race. Then they make their move to
War the reaction in the US was near panic. pass the lead car and grab the checkered flag.
Repeatedly told that the US Vanguard program Distance runners do the same thing. They like to
was far ahead of the Soviets, the American public pace behind a top competitor through the majority
was caught totally off guard. What followed was of the race and then in a burst of adrenal
the election of President John F. Kennedy and his acceleration they attempt to slingshot past and
bold statement that America would send a man to cross the finish line first. It is well documented
the moon and bring him back safely. This speech that when two top contenders in any sport attempt
ignited the start of what became known as the to pace off each other they often match or beat
Space Race and resulted in some of the most their individual best performances often resulting
innovative and commercially useful technologies in new world records.
ever produced in the United States, all in the span
of less than ten years. And as we all know, we did It is similar in the field of business. Microsoft and
land a man on the moon and bring him back Apple battled it out for years. During their rivalry
safely in a time long before hand held calculators both companies had a string of incredibly
and personal computers. innovative product development launches. On the
hardware side Intel and AMD were arch rivals for
Robert Kennedy had been tracking the illegal decades. Again, both companies not only
activities of Jimmy Hoffa, the president of the dramatically drove their own technology and
Teamsters Union for years. He was determined to product development roadmaps but the resultant
bring Hoffa to justice when he was installed as exponential increase in processing power drove
Attorney General under his brother Jack. Hoffa's the entire PC and server industry. The ultimate
office at the Teamsters Union was located in winner of both of these rivalries was the customer
Washington D.C. approximately two blocks from who benefitted from ever cheaper and higher
the Attorney Generals office. Often when Bobby performing computing power. Hertz vs. Avis.
Kennedy would be heading home late at night he Remember "We try harder"? Ford vs. General
would see the light on in Hoffa's office. He would Motors. You get the idea.
then immediately turn around and go back to his
office and resume his investigation of Hoffa. "If The Exponential Power of Rivalry
Hoffa was working late committing his crimes
then I can work equally late for the American So what can the power of rivalry do for your
company?
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2. April 2010
The Power Of Rivalry
- A Healthy Paranoia - When a top competitor is plans. Instead, have your managers give you a
hot on your heels or you're on his you get a competitive assessment of how their departments
constant healthy dose of paranoia. You know at are performing relative to their rivals. Most
all times that if you slow down or screw up your importantly, do the same for yourself, publicly.
competitor is literally ready to pass you, maybe
forever. When you race without a rival you - Being The Best Is The Most Dangerous Position
automatically default to your comfort pace. That is - One of the reasons I believe that the United
why athletes rarely set records in this situation. States is going through such difficult times is that
Your competitor literally makes you better. It we no longer have a Soviet Union to focus our
works the same with companies. attention on and drive our efforts. We lack a
comprehensive rival. The same holds true for
- Make It Personal - Bobby Kennedy made it companies. Most companies (and countries)
personal. When I ran my last company I had a begin their descent shortly after attaining
frame hanging on my office wall right in front of dominant stature. Lacking a top competitor to
my desk. In it was my top competitor's logo, a pace them they default to their comfort pace
portrait of their CEO, and a picture of their latest which naturally decays over time. By the time
competing product. I respected the CEO in that they realize what has happened it is often too
frame but I wanted to beat him and his company. late. This has occurred from Rome, through
I studied his strategies and tactical moves and Spain, France, and Britain over the centuries. All
listened to his quarterly investor telecons to better were at one time global superpowers. When you
understand his thought processes and achieve a dominant market position it is
weaknesses. Often when I was tired, especially imperative to retain a healthy paranoia and
after a flight back from the Far East, I would start "reverse" draft off your closest rival.
packing, look at that picture, and sit back down
with renewed vigor. I made him make me a better Far too many leaders and managers today hide
leader. I paced off him. behind their company's identity and size and
allow themselves to toil away in anonymous
- Stop Hiding Behind The Company - Have each isolation. There is a security in this but there is no
department of your company engage in a rivalry enjoyment or sense of accomplishment for them
with your top competitors corresponding or their employees. So I challenge you to step out
department. When I ran a product development from behind the curtain and onto an open playing
group I researched the development group of our field with your toughest rival. Make it personal
key competitor. I educated everyone in our group and make it public so it will hurt if you lose. You
about our rival groups strengths, weaknesses, will be surprised at your true capability (and your
and accomplishments. We did not control the company's) under these circumstances.
company we worked for but we did control our
product development group. We challenged each
other to develop faster, better, and cheaper
products than our rivals. In short, we did not let
the product development group work in a R&D Bill Gately - Principal
bunker within our company but we competed on Tel: (781)-710-4064
an open field against our rival group. The results E-mail: bill.gately@rockland-group.com
were amazing. Because we were now competing
against a rival group in a similar profession it Copyright 2006 - 2010 The Rockland Group, Inc.
became personal. We were not going to lose. So All rights reserved. Reproduction without
don't just review project schedules and marketing permission prohibited.