Comparisons: Unity
We all compete. We should all be working to improve our positions in the minds of others. Success in competition depends upon unity. Unity is one of the two primary sources of strength. The other is “focus,” but focus is nearly impossible to talk about one without discussing the unity. But what is the source of unity?
It does not come from the top down. It is not imposed. Its bounds arise from the bottom up. A strong position cannot be built on a weak foundation. For purposes of this article, we will initially consider the largest and most complex components of the competitive environment as “the top” and the smaller and simpler, as “down.”
The Large
In military competition, we are concerned with the strength of a nation. More generally, we are concerned about the strength of organizations and their productive ability. But what is the source of an organization’s strength? A shared belief in its values, its value to its members and others, the mission that unites any group. Most nations are united by a common culture and the history of their people. The United States is unique in that it is bound together by a set of ideals. These principles are meant to join different groups in a melting pot. In business, religious, or social organizations, the uniting factor is the value that they produce.
Shared mission is what unites an organization, but what makes it strong within a competitive environment? The competitive force that defends a nation, its military, or the competitive force that supports an organization with sales and marketing. This force must share the organization’s mission. It cannot put its own interests ahead of those that it supports.
No competitive force can be strong unless they work in unison with all of the other forces the work externally to advance an organization’s position in the world. Military forces have separate navies, armies, and air forces. These forces are in competition for resources, but they must work together. Within businesses, sales and marketing are divided as well. We can further divide sales organizations by product, and geography. All such internal groups compete with each other for resources. For example, different products can compete for advertising.
Forces Within
There are many competing divisions within any organization, not all of them are focused on thee external competitive environment, but they all must be united by a shared focus. We must consider all the functional divisions within any organization. Unity among them is not automatic. Different priorities are common, especially in business. In many organizations, product design does not create products that marketing want to promote. In others, product design shapes products that cannot be engineered. Engineering can be elegant but make production difficult. Unreliable production can create bottlenecks in order delivery. All these separate functions must work together for any organization to be strong. When they are not united, efforts and resources are wasted.
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