Certified Career Coach, Hallie Crawford recently published an article on US News called, “The Benefits of Being Nice to Your Competitors.”
Whether you are competing with another company for a new client contract, vying for an executive position at your firm or simply sitting in a room with a group of others interviewing for the same job, it can seem contradictory to be nice to the competition. In business it can sometimes seem like it’s necessary to always watch your back, that it’s or more beneficial to do whatever you can to squash the competition in order to get ahead. But in reality, it pays to be nice and professionally courteous to your competition.
If you are following any of the summer soccer competitions right now, you’ll notice that the players that normally play with each other during the year are representing their countries and playing against each other. While they are all playing to win, they still, for the most part, have an amicable spirit with the opposing teams. A similar attitude works in the business world. While you don’t want to just give someone else your position or business deal to be nice, you can still be friendly and professional. Here’s why and how it pays to be nice to the competition.
