Question 1.

Question1: Even if you are not the top decision maker of an organization, why is it important to understand your organization's competitors?

This question is posed as if the person reading it or the employee being considered is committed to the organization. Often times employees are in the mix not for the collective good but instead only for a paycheck. I sometimes ask myself why is this; I can remember times in my earlier career days where I have felt like this and in reflection it has to do with how I am treated by the company. I am I recognized for what I do and can do? Does the company show interest in my efforts and career journey? Mostly no, and I think this is a failing of most companies. We’ve studied companies, great companies like Southwest Airlines (SWA) who have forged a culture envious of those outside the company but yet in the same industry. Why? They were able to connect to a common thread within the fabric of human needs… people need a level of security in life, especially at this day in age where companies are redefining themselves. SWA told it like it was, and how a company needed to be to survive in the low-cost airline business. Employees made the decision to bet on the strategic because mostly they knew something different was needed than what the big corporations were selling in terms of future benefits. My congratulations to the management of SWA, they earned their compensations. But with respect to knowing the competition at every level of the corporation, for a company employee who is committed to corporate strategy of improvement and growing the business: it only makes sense. If everyone understands what is needed to win in a given business environment, then the right things get done. The choices are aimed at a goal, the incremental business achievements are directed toward winning instead of just doing.