Competitive Intelligence | Ellen Naylor

The Present of Presence & Listening

March 18, 2021December 28, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

I think the phenomenon of being quiet is valuable in business as part of cooperative communication, one of the arms of cooperative intelligence. In my fields of research and competitive intelligence, knowing when to be silent is a great gift, since there aren’t enough listening ears, especially these days with all the downsizing in America. Sometimes, people just need us to listen to them, and not offer any advice. This practice also builds incredible trust and connection between two people since you think enough of the other person to stay quiet and listen.

Christmas, A Season for Gratitude

November 28, 2017December 23, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

One of the purest ways to communicate is to express gratitude which is one of the practices of cooperative communication. There are so many way to express gratitude. A thank-you when someone does something nice is a good start, especially to those people in our lives who are often unseen as we go rushing through our lives. This Christmas is bittersweet for me as I mourn the loss of my Dad who was such a warm and giving man. I am grateful to have been influenced by such a good man.

Cooperative Leadership: Lessons Learned from my Dad

November 28, 2017December 14, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

I have noticed that cooperative leadership emanates from people who are comfortable with themselves and who don’t have those psychological issues of trying to be “one-up” on others. They are deeply rooted with “take me as I am.” People feel comfortable with this type of person: all personality types.

Introduction to Competitive Intelligence

March 18, 2021October 19, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

Over the years very little has changed in the competitive intelligence (CI) process, while the execution of the collection phase has changed remarkably over the 20+ years I have been in the business with the advent of the Internet in all its iterations, e-mail, text messaging and more recently through social networks. This also affects counterintelligence, since it is easier for your competitors—or anyone who is interested enough—to dig up information about your company that you consider proprietary.

Competitive Intelligence Advantage by Seena Sharp

March 18, 2021October 14, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

Seena Sharp’s book Competitive Intelligence Advantage has just been published. It explains why data is not intelligence, why competitor intelligence is a weak sibling to competitive intelligence, when to use it, how to find the most useful information and turn it into actual intelligence, and how to convincingly communicate findings. The true power of CI lies in its ability to reveal what’s happening outside your organization—to take off the blinders and show you the true competitive state of play. If you’re a senior-level executive or organizational leader—and aren’t tapping the power of CI for an external perspective on your customers and the marketplace—you’re giving your competitors the upper hand.

Are Associations Going the Way of Print Media?: Part II

March 18, 2021September 22, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

This post focuses association chapters, the grass roots of associations, which are often the step-children in the association world since they don’t product revenue, and many don’t even break even. We are adapting our chapter meeting venue to the reality of today’s dispersed and busy workforce. We are co-hosting a meeting with the Denver APMP chapter on Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. where people will have 3 choices for connection. http://www.scip.org/Training/EventsDetail.cfm?itemnumber=8540 for details.

Tips on Setting up a Competitive Intelligence Process

March 18, 2021September 16, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

I was recently asked by a prospective client to summarize how I could help his company develop and implement a competitive intelligence process. While I tend to follow certain steps in setting up a CI process, I was taken aback since this company’s industry is such a specialized niche within financial services, and I am not a “one size fits all” consultant. Here are some of the takeaways that apply to any industry.

Gain Cooperative Intelligence through ‘Being There’

March 18, 2021September 11, 2009 by Ellen Naylor

I just read a fabulous article by Ulla de Stricker entitled “Creating Influence through ‘Being There’ published in SLA’s July/Aug 2009 edition of Information Outlook. While the article targets librarians and information professionals, most of Ulla’s ideas benefit anyone, including competitive intelligence managers. I notice they also align with the practices of cooperative intelligence–especially cooperative leadership and cooperative connection.