Virtual Enterprises
Instead of being a single company or
individual, acting alone, engaged in imaginary combat with the rest of the
world, there's another form of playaction that is emerging. It's
called being a virtual enterprise.
It's a very simple concept... but a very
powerful way to be competitive, particularly for smaller companies or
individuals who seek to compete with larger organizations..
For example, if you can't provide everything
your customer wants... or demands... and you find that you are going to lose
business unless you link up with another company to provide what you
can't provide... then you and your linked partner, when you are linked
together, become what's known as a virtual enterprise.
Another way of envisioning a virtual enterprise
is a company or individual that can combine with any combination of alliance
partners in whatever combination best meets the needs of the customer.
Just being capable of creating multiple
alliances that can work cooperatively and in harmony is a very powerful message
to your customers. It says that you have unique relationship building
and, more significantly, relationship sustaining skills than the
run-of-the-mill organization that knocks on their door.
It says you have skills that enable you and your
alliance partners to address and resolve differences before they fester into
conflicts.
Agility... or Agile Companies
Questions... based upon a theoretical
situation:
How do you respond when, recently, you successfully wound-up a virtual enterprise with your alliance "partner A" and now... today... your former alliance "partner A" links up with a different company, "competitor A". The two of them are appearing as a virtual enterprise, competing with you today in a new customer setting?
Take it one step further. Next week you may have a need to align again with with "partner A" to form a new virtual enterprise for a totally new customer opportunity.
Do you have a fundamental grounding that will enable you to move into and out of competitive and cooperative relationships with the same companies?
Are you able to move into and out of competitive and cooperative relationships with the same companies on a sustainable basis?
Agility... or being engaged in agile
competition... requires a new gendre of businessperson... with a fresh
approach to non-destructive competition.
What is needed? What is needed is:
A totally new mindset within which to
create a reputation for your, and your organization, as Partners of Choice™ ;
You'll need a way to network with other
individuals and companies who are also sincerely committed to becoming and
being Partners of Choice™, and
You'll need creative tools and patterns for
effectively communicating and efficiently addressing differences before they
fester into conflicts that might jeopardize your cooperative relationship, and
your reputation as Partners of Choice™.
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