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By Barry Moltz

It’s not too often that Sun Tzu and Al Pacino in “The Godfather” give the same advice. This adage is a wise business strategy: Keep track not only what your business partners are doing but what your competitors are involved in as well. Many companies use winning and losing as a scorecard in their business. However, sometimes working together with a competitor is the best way to achieve a common business goal.

Adam Brandenburger called this “co-optition.”

Bill Gates has purportedly referred to it as “sometimes the lambs have to lie down with the wolves.” In fact, most businesses practice some form of cooperation with their competitors. Your company winning doesn’t mean that your competitor always loses. Conversely, when you fail, it doesn’t mean that you totally lose.

In the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” John Nash educated the audience on game theory, where “rational decision makers” are involved in a mix of conflict and cooperation.

The most extreme version of co-optition is where an entire industry gets together to solve industry-level problems. This model has been very popular in Japan.

A famous example of co-optition was when Microsoft and Apple worked closely together in the early years of both businesses. While it can be described as a love-hate relationship, a $150 million investment by Microsoft in Apple in 1997 actually saved that company. In the technology area, cooperation among competitors happens frequently because of the pace of technology. A recent example is for electric car manufacturers is to have all the same charging ports so the same charging infrastructure can be used by all vehicles.

Unfortunately, too much “co-optition” among competitors can lead to an anti-–trust lawsuit by the government. Just ask Apple, Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster MacMillan, and Pearson Publishers about ebooks!

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Barry Moltz is a Chicago-based serial entrepreneur, business consultant, marketing expert, mediator, speaker and author of several books on small-business success. Look for his advice on Crain’s blog for entrepreneurs every Monday. Barry is also a regular contributor to the American Express Open Forum.

Follow Barry on Twitter: @BarryMoltz.

Listen to podcasts of Barry’s “Business Insanity” radio show here.

Join Crain’s LinkedIn group for Chicago entrepreneurs. And stay on top of Chicago business with Crain’s free daily e-newsletters.

Crain’s small-business editor Ann Dwyer is on Google+.

Follow Ann on Twitter at @AnnDwyer_Crains.

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Article source: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120430/BLOGS06/120439983

Lagos (WorldStage Newsonline)– The annual MTN’s leadership seminal came to an end on Friday in Lagos with the promise by the telecommunication giant, MTN to support three Nigerians with N30 million to start their businesses in a first -of-its kind initiative called the MTN Budding Entrepreneur Business Grant.

The seminar which featured Dr. Farrah Gray, a young American businessman, investor, philanthropist, author, syndicated columnist, and motivational speaker, came to an end at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Main Auditorium after other sessions previously held in two different locations in Nigeria. The theme of this year’s event was “Breaking the Success Myth”.

Addressing his audience, mainly students of the institution, Dr. Gray, who became a millionaire at the age of 14, spoke extensively on success and emphasized on the need to always be confident, in order to be successful in life.

In his word, “Always Be Confidence if you must be successful”.

He advised the youths to avoid spending money on liabilities, such as buying expensive clothes, shoes etc. According to him, “by doing so, you only make somebody else rich.”

He also advised the youths to take their education very serious by studying hard, stressing that “training makes you qualify and you must work hard so as to be three times qualified.”

Dr. Gray encouraged the youths not to wait for opportunity, but to go out and search for it.

“You don’t have to sit down expecting opportunity to come. You need to go for it,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the General Manager Consumer Marketing, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, said, “this year edition is taking a new dimension as MTN is giving out about N30 million to support three entrepreneurs which would be selected on merit base on business proposals submitted by applicants.”

He said, the best idea will get the sum of N20 million and 6 months mentor-ship program with Dr. Gray while the second and third most creative ideas would get N5 million each to pursue their business ventures.

According to him, “the program was put together so as to enable MTN customers move ahead in life and business, inspire the CAN-DO spirit in them, create a conducive atmosphere for networking and also create opportunities for budding entrepreneurs through the N30 million grant and a six month mentor-ship programme with Dr. Farrah Gray.”

On the seminar, he said, it “is about empowering the youths to become successful like Dr. Gray.”

Oyeyemi explained that the seminar which used to be on topics bordering on entrepreneurship, strategy, motivation amongst others alone and formerly tagged the MTN Motivational Series, had been revamped and repackaged as the MTN Leadership Seminar to bring more value to its customers and the general public.

MTN in the last four years had brought renowned speakers such as, Les Brown, Chris Gardner and David Plouffe to speak to Nigerians on topics bordering on entrepreneurship, strategy, motivation amongst others.

The highlight of the event was a performance by the first female winner of the MTN Project Fame West Africa, Chidinma, who entertained the audience with her award winning song.

Story by Dele Adeleye

Article source: http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstagenew/index.php?active=news&newscid=4635&catid=30

On 24 April, the corporate assembly of Moelven elected a new Board, with only a few, minor changes. Grethe Sønsteby was elected to replace Elisabeth Bjøre.

The Board of Directors The Board of Directors of Moelven Industrier ASA now consists of the following members: Sverre Leiro – 65 years, chair Position: President of the Federation of Norwegian Enterprises. Various other directorships                                   

Elisabeth Krokeide – 49 years
Position: Project Director at Eidsiva Vekst AS

Egil Magnar Stubsjøen – 58 years
Position: Finance Manager at Nord-Østerdal Kraftlag SA 

Grete Sønsteby – 51 years (new)
Position: Entrepreneur / business developer

Terje Johansen – 53 years
Position: Deputy Managing Director of Felleskjøpet Agri SA

Deputies: 

Per Simon Slettebø – 60 years
Position: Managing Director of AT-Skog BA

Heidi Ekrem – 43 years
Position: Lawyer and partner at the law firm Advokatfirmaet Mageli ANS

                                  
Employee representatives (elected spring 2011 for two years):

Gunde Haglund – 60 years, Moelven Notnäs AB

Martin Fauchald – 50 years, Moelven Limtre AS

Iver Melby – 57 years, regularly meeting deputy, Moelven Mjøsbruket AS

Deputy:

Lars Håkan Karlsson – 57 years, Moelven Ransbysågen AB

Corporate assembly The Annual General Meeting of Moelven Industrier ASA elected a new corporate assembly. Here too there were only minor changes. Marit Astrup was elected as a new deputy, replacing Børre Rogstadkjærnet. 

The corporate assembly of Moelven Industrier ASA now consists of the following members:

Even Mengshoel – Mjøsen Skog BA 
Deputy: Marit Lindstad

Olav A. Veum – AT Skog BA 
Deputy: Knut Aas

Rolf Th Holm – Havass Skog BA
Deputy: Thorvald Grini

Mikael Løken – Glommen Skog BA
Deputy: Marit Astrup (new)

Gudbrand Gulsvik – Viken skog BA
Deputy: Helge Evju

Maren Kyllingstad – Eidsiva Energi AS
Deputy: Anne Nysæter Sagstuen

Thor Svegården – Eidsiva Vekst AS 
Deputy: Ola Syverinsen

John Arne Ulvan – Felleskjøpet Agri 
Deputy: Jan Kollsgård

Employee representatives on the corporate assembly: 

Ann-Christine Löfborg – Moelven Töreboda AB
Deputy: Ove Gunnarsson – Moelven Valåsen AB

Rolf Ellevold – Moelven Østerdalsbruket AS
Deputy: Trond Sønes – Moelven ByggModul AS

Lennart Perez – Moelven ByggModul AB Kil
Deputy: Jörgen Weman – Moelven Valåsen Wood AB 

Leif Bjarne Undem – Moelven Nordia AS
Deputy: Jon-Inge Lorentsen, Moelven Nordia AS 

Possible stock exchange introduction The Annual General Meeting of Moelven passed a number of resolutions taking care of the formalities necessary for a future stock exchange listing.

“These resolutions mean that if the owners decide they would like to list Moelven on the stock exchange, this will now be possible, although there are no such concrete plans at present,” says Hans Rindal, CEO of Moelven. 

For further information please contact:
Hans Rindal – CEO Moelven, tel. +47 906 96 910
Kristin Vitsø Bjørnstad – Communications and HR Director, tel. +47 907 13 701

Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/idUS150996+27-Apr-2012+HUG20120427