Respect For Competition May Increase Market Share
Garr Reynolds, author of the always inspiring Presentation Zen, provides some insight this week into a subject that is definitely relevant in the construction defect litigation industry. In his somewhat lengthy post, he analyzes the nature of competition in business through the vantage point of an American consultant living in Japan. He cites some recent examples of Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer (no chairs involved this time) badmouthing the new Apple iPhone as well as Apple’s own badmouthing of Windows Vista.
Presentation Zen is a site that anyone involved in public presentation of information should visit on a regular basis. (For more insight into graphical presentation of information and reports, see Edward Tufte.) Reynolds’ website couldn’t have a more appropriate name as he truly espouses a “Zen”-like approach to presenting. In the defect industry, many cases are mediated and ultimately settled based upon the information and evidence that is presented by the experts. In the situation of a mediation, the more effectively an expert can present his evidence to the experts representing opposing parties, the easier it is to discuss the valid points of the case. The easier it is to discuss the actual matters at hand, the more likely that settlement will occur. But no matter how effective or snazzy an expert’s presentation is, if there is no mutual respect, the mediation process will go nowhere. Publicly questioning the credibility of another expert or attacking their opinions is no way to gain support.
“If one bad mouths a competitor in Japan they shame not only themselves but the group to which they belong. One who speaks poorly of others is not to be trusted…. When one remembers that there is no end to mastery — that one can and must be better the next day and the day after that (and the day after that) — then it is foolish indeed to ever look down one’s nose to anyone, especially our rivals. Ultimately, the real rival is within us anyway.”
23 January 2007 | Business, Construction, Construction Defect, Consulting, Experts, Litigation, Technology | Comments
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