Surpassing the Competition
I am the proud father of twin boys who are 3 ½. They are very active and already have the abilities to play baseball, football, soccer and golf. Bryce has a mean fastball and Broc can tackle you like a pro.
After writing this story, we bought a Nintendo Wii. We purchased the Wii to provide entertainment for our friends and family. By introducing computers and other forms of technology, I am hopeful that our children will have a competitive edge in the future.
For the past few weeks, they have been “swimming” with the Wii. Broc was winning more rounds because he would perform short, precise and quick movements of the remote controls. Bryce was losing because he was expending more energy and made more animated movements which ultimately made his “swimming” strokes slower.
Lately, Bryce has been winning because he adapted to the situation. He learned that in order to win, he had to use similar methods to his brother. He also learned that in order to succeed, he had to improve and incorporate a different way of “swimming” that would allow him to get ahead. Regardless of who wins or loses, they are both champions in my book.
Take a second and think about when you compete with another for a job, market share and more. The only difference between the battles of Fortune 500 companies and “swimming” with the Wii are the magnitude and scale. With that being said, you must be able to develop a strategy to surpass your competition.
- Research. Research your area of interest and build a strategy that will keep you ahead of the competition. Stay informed by keeping current on the latest trends in the marketplace. You will be able to make better decisions in the near term as well as prepare for the long term.
- Adapt. If you are not willing to adapt to the environment, regardless if you are 3 ½ year old or a Fortune 500 company, you will not succeed. You will have to be more determined, creative, nimble and efficient in order to surpass your competition.
- Improve. In order to get ahead, you have to frequently improve your skills, education and processes. A progressive plan should be put into play that allows you to benchmark your results and gauge your competition.
- Differentiate. You must separate yourself from the pack. It’s not enough to have cheaper prices, higher quality products or more efficient processes. In order to succeed, your brand has to be distinctive, unique and easy for others to relate to.
Surpassing the competition is often a temporary move and requires a tremendous amount of work to remain in the lead. The only real way of surpassing the competition is to be persistent in your approach and to develop a proactive strategy that is flexible enough to adapt to the situation.
About the Author
Brent Stanley is the Founder & CEO of StaffPointe, the premier nationwide provider of Medical and Healthcare Recruiting Solutions. He has over 15 years of business, technological development, healthcare, and recruiting experience. By training, Brent is a Registered Nurse and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in E-Business and Technology. Brent enjoys spending time with his wife, twin boys, golfing and fly fishing.
