The Key to Competitiveness

Competitiveness: the ability to compete successfully in a contest.

We are all in a contest, aren’t we? From the day we are born as individuals, organizations, and nations whether we like it or not we are judged and measured against others and rewarded accordingly. We see this plainly in sports athletics of course where the fastest, strongest, most coordinated win over those who are less so; but it is harder to measure and harder to accept judgment for those qualities that are less visible—like character, work ethic, intelligence, and skills relevancy for example—yet these less tangible qualities are ever more critical in determining whether individuals, organizations and nations grow and thrive…or not. They are ever more critical because we are running out of space where people or organizations or nations could thrive based on their luck of the draw in being born in places where natural resources were plentiful.

And this is a good development, isn’t it? Martin Luther King could see a time when a child would be judged by his character rather than the color of his skin. Similarly, in this “flat world” in which we live, it has become increasingly apparent that associations are being judged by the quality of what they offer rather than where they are located in North America, South America, Europe or Asia.

And what precisely is it that successful associations are offering? From our perspective in working with hundreds of associations these relate to:

• Skills transfer—otherwise known as education and training
• Credentialing—to ensure peers, current and future employers, customers, etc.--that you meet certain minimum standards
• Networking and the opportunity to learn from peers and experts in your field

Note that every aspect of these three broad categories of products and services can be transmitted through the Internet; and note also that all relate in some way to skills or knowledge development. This means that our competitors may be next door, or they may be half a world away. These facts also underline that it is not the color of your skin or the place of your birth that is important but the cultivated qualities of the mind and heart that will determine tomorrow winners. And in these areas, haven’t nonprofit organizations always played a leading role?