Cooperation with One’s Rivals—not Competition—is Key to Success

Calabasas CA

24 August, 2021

4:33 PM

Description

Calabasas, California – Following social Darwinian logic, business leaders often assume getting ahead requires beating out the competition. Zero-sum game thinking, it suggests that for someone to win, someone else must lose. This mentality is a harmful illusion, writes renowned Los Angeles business attorney Janice Miller, managing partner of Miller Haga Law Group, LLP. In her new book, Coopertition: Cooperation Between Competitors for the Benefit of All, Miller argues attorneys and other professionals would do well to regard their competitors as potential collaborators. “Working with and not against the competition not only benefits clients, but it also helps you build your network, enhancing your reputation, leading to greater success for everyone, Miller says. Coopertition—pronounced co-op-er-tition—offers sagacious advice and insights based on Miller’s more than 25-year career as a successful attorney for major entertainment and Fortune 100 companies and as founder of her own law firm. Structured in short, easy-to-read chapters, the book expounds on 26 cornerstones of Miller’s “Coopertition” approach, listed from A to Z. “There are many folks in the legal field and other areas scared to talk with, much less refer, to competitors, because they worry they’ll take their business. This is limited, short-sighted thinking,” Miller explains. “If there’s something you can’t do for a client, for example, you needn’t lose their trust. Instead, you can strengthen it by referring them to somebody you know who can assist. It’s a mindshift leading to a-rising-tides-lifts-all-ships-win-win scenario.” Key concepts in Miller’s book include enlisting rivals as advisers to help clients when their needs extend beyond one’s own scope of expertise; building a solid referral network of professionals who represent your highest ideals; genuinely connecting with other professionals both in and outside of work; being a “go-giver” rather than a “go-getter”; and being unafraid to lighten your load by saying no to a project or referring a client to someone else. “I practice what I preach in this book daily,” says Miller, who has won numerous awards and accolades for her work. “Staying ahead of the competition doesn’t necessarily require you to think of your colleagues as competition. Rather, you have to think outside of the box, especially in this unprecedented economy.” Coopertition is Miller’s first book. During her normal, hectic work schedule, tackling this project would seem next to impossible, the attorney said. But, in a much-appreciated silver lining, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed her the time and space to make becoming an author a reality. Miller’s legal expertise spans business transactions, real estate leasing, entertainment, intellectual property, licensing, and hospitality. Prior to founding Miller Haga Law Group, she served as NBCUniversal’s Vice President of Business Affairs for Universal Studios Hollywood® and CityWalk® where she was responsible for real estate leasing matters, managing the entertainment destination’s relationships with over 60 tenants with restaurants, nightclubs, and retail venues. In 2020 and 2021, Miller was named a Southern California “Super Lawyer,” placing her among the top five percentile of the region's attorneys. She is also a sought-after speaker and panelist at conferences in her practice areas. Janice Miller’s new book, Coopertition, is available for purchase at Amazon.com For more information about Janice L. Miller and Miller Haga Law Group, LLP, visit www.millerhaga.com or call 818-591-4200.