BEFORE IT IS YOU VOTED OFF THE ISLAND . . .

"Coalitions though successful have always found this, that their triumph has been brief."

Benjamin Disraeli

19th century British politician/author

At work we might call these "clicks".

Avoid them by any name choosing instead to align only with those who work to advance the company mission rather than their own.

Don't Fence Me (Out)!

"Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up."

Robert Frost

20th century American poet

Nor put one up without first understanding what you want to keep in or keep out.

Business is full of "fences" including official and unofficial, obvious and not.

Easy to erect, difficult to dismantle once up.

Alliance Management: Strength in Numbers

"In this new wave of technology, you can't do it all yourself, you have to form alliances."

Carlos Slim Helu
Mexican Businessman

When it comes to alliances there appears to be a limit beyond which business is loath to go.

We understand we literally cannot do "it" by ourselves and form companies; which are alliances among individuals. And in some cases we do align with other companies when we see common benefit being the result, but not as often as could be true.

Every so often circumstances dictate the need for alliances. The "circumstances" today for many banks, auto manufacturers and retailers suggest they align or go out of business. But this is back up against the wall, gun against the temple sort of alignment. Defensive rather than offensive alignment.

Do you look for opportunity to align with others in the normal course of business ?