Don't Knock Your Competitor

Remember that you will not be the only one who is producing services of value. Whenever a choice job opens up, you can count on facing some stiff competition in your efforts to land it. In many cases the rivalry can be a bitter, dog-eat-dog affair in which more reputations are destroyed than built. No one profits from such a struggle. In that respect I am reminded of the executive who had three men struggling fiercely for a top spot. "I had to hire a man from outside," he told me. "If I had promoted one of the three, the other two would have quit rather than work for him. Then I would have had to hire three new credit men instead of one new credit manager."

Competitors are really cooperators. You can be sure that if no one else wants the job, it is not apt to be much good. When the rivalry is keen, you are inspired to try with the best that's in you, and if that is not enough, you are inspired to strengthen what you've got for a better try next time. If no one is competing with you, if you never have to dig to find the best that's in you, you may never know just how good your best might be. Never worry about the competition. Worry produces fear and hate, and fear and hate can take up so much room in your mind and so color your thinking that you can't present your best side at all.

Raymond Carmody's case presents a typical example. He was one of three regional sales managers being considered to replace the retiring national sales manager. He was doing everything possible to prepare himself for the job, including coming to me for counsel. I could agree with his reasoning, but Carmody hadn't talked to me five minutes before I could see that he was more worried about what the manager of the western division would do than what he could do himself. I think he expected me to produce some trick to circumvent his rival.



After he had completed the procedures, his confidence in himself was foremost in his mind, but his resentment of Henderson, the western division man, had in no way diminished.

"All right," I said. "You have analyzed the functions of the national sales manager's job, and you have agreed that the most important function is to build and lead the best sales team possible. Where does Henderson fit into this team?"

"I don't care where he fits in," said Carmody, his resentment flaring up. “He can quit if he wants to, and I hope he does."

"Yet you say he is an excellent salesman. Is he better than you?"

Carmody calmed down, and after a moment he gave me an honest answer. "No, though his sales top mine for some months. On a year-round average, however, my sales are ahead of his."

"In that case," I said, "I don't think you should get the national sales manager's job."

Carmody looked at me as though he had been betrayed, but before he could release his rage I said, "Any national sales manager who doesn't care whether a top regional manager quits or not isn't very interested in his team."

A long silence and the rage Carmody had built up faded away. "I get it," he said. "He's a good man, and I'll need him if I get the job. Now what do I do?"

We helped him develop a sales management program which could lead to a more effective use of Henderson and the other members of the team. When the three rivals were called in by the president, one at a time, to present their qualifications for the job, Carmody was the only one with a written program that included a plan for the continued cooperation of the team.

He got the job. Furthermore, having stressed Henderson's excellent sales record in his program, he won that salesman around to his side, albeit not overnight. But by sending memoranda of appreciation every time Henderson completed a good sale-with a carbon copy to the president-he turned the once bitter rivalry into lasting friendship, proving once again that if you want others to see good in you, first see the good in others, and let them know you see it.