Gaining from Co-opetition

What this thinking really stems from is the ability to view the world as a place of abundance, where there is enough work to go around. It may not feel like it to you at times, but I promise you, if you shift your thinking away from scarcity and stop being threatened by your competition, things will change for you.

Cooperation combined with competition equals co-opetition. I did not invent this word. I have heard it used for several years now.

Here’s an example. Years ago, I worked for a small digital shop in downtown Chicago. There was a much bigger shop right around the corner. Sure, we shared some services, so in fact we were competition. But, we also helped each other out; if one of us ran out of paper or ink, we would share. And I used to meet the head of sales of that shop on the corner each morning, and we would commiserate about the old days—how great things used to be—and how hard it was now. It was comforting to know they were there; sharing the same experiences and willing to lend a hand if we needed, and vice versa.

So how about this...See if you can find some competitors that you can make your co-opetition. You might gain a friend, a resource, and you just might learn something.