If there’s one thing I’ve learned, above all else, in running an online business in the learning and development space, it’s that there are two distinct mindsets that people come to conversations with:
1. Everyone’s potential competition
If they enter into conversations at all, they do so guarded, protective and waiving non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Getting anything done with them is slow, tentative and expensive. The “what if?” scenarios are never ending, and the cover your ass mentality sucks the life right out of the project. So much so that, after the first few, I made the choice not to work with them at all.
2. Everyone’s a potential collaborator
Arms open, curious, and excited to share. These are the “1 + 1 = 3” kind of people, and they actively work to find and explore win-win opportunities to make the world a better place.
Thankfully, at least in my experience, the second group is on the rise. I think you can be successful both ways. The second camp is a hell of a lot more fun to work with though. And guess what? They only want to work with people of a likeminded mentality. I know I do.
What mentality are you bringing to the table?
For more, Stephen M.R. Covey’s book The Speed of Trust does an excellent job of breaking down the true costs of a trust-less relationship.
