Competition at it's Best

In today’s politically correct climate the word “competition” has been all but stripped of its original meaning. I once read an article about a community where the youth soccer teams do not keep score because to much competition is bad for children. Our daughter played youth soccer and when she was at the 1st grade level they did not keep score. After every game she would run to the car and say we won 5-4 or we lost 3-2, her comments always reflected the result of the game because that was important to her and her team mates.

The score was a measuring stick that they (even as first graders) realized was important to them. It was a measure of whether or not they were improving, falling behind or staying even. Not once did I hear her or one of her teammates refer to the score as a reference to the other team’s abilities. They knew instinctively what competition was all about; it helped them measure their own progress and wasn’t used as a tool to deride the other team.

Most businesses realize that competition is a good thing. It is the essence of what drives businesses to be better, provide better customer service, and strive to maintain and produce top quality products and services. Of course, there are always those few businesses that think competition is the bane of their existence; typically these are companies that would rather not compete or have difficulty striving to be the best they can be. These businesses all too often blow up minor issues in an attempt to diminish their competition. In these cases it is important to ask why they focus on their competitions perceived weakness instead of their own strengths.

Regardless of who our competition is, it is crucial that we not get lost in or focus on our competitors but instead utilize the measuring stick that quality competition provides. Competition at its Best is what helps drive and build industries in to quality commodities that offer consumers more than what they bargained for.