There are two mindsets in business -one of scarcity and the other of abundance.
A scarcity mindset believes much, if not everything, is limited. A business with a scarcity mindset holds everything close to the vest and is uncomfortable or unwilling to do business beyond its own walls. The thinking is if another company gets a bit more, there's less to go around.
Then there is the abundance mindset. I like this mindset because it is limitless and innovative. This mindset says: Go ahead and take a piece of my pie. We can eat it until it's gone. There's not a shortage of pie. And, if we do run out, we can work together to make and introduce a new pie into the market that we and others can enjoy.
Partnerships Thrive When Everyone Works Together
Trust and collaboration are two words that come to mind when I think about operating from an abundance mindset. At Cisco, and within our Data and Analytics Group (DAG) specifically, it's this mindset that has led to three recent landmark partnerships that I'd like to share with you.
We are partnering with a technology company, a university focused on healthcare, and a service provider with similar aspirations for improving multivendor management. We each are giving the best of what we have and together we're making technology and the world better. Partnerships are where tried and true companies work together to create tried and true solutions and this, in a nutshell, is what an abundant mindset in technology looks like.