Via the TP Wire Serivce, here’s a clip from an article at Wharton School of Knowledge

“what gives firms competitive advantage isn’t just their repository of sheer knowledge, but their use and encouragement of so-called “performative ties” — those impromptu communications made by colleagues who are strangers in which critical knowledge is transferred with no expectation of a quid pro quo.”

Sharing. Isn’t that what blogs are about. Isn’t that’s what networking is all about. Building relationships in a way that everyone wins.

The authors talk mostly about interactions within a firm, but I’ve seen it happen frequently between specialists or firms as well.

Of course there are boundaries to the kind of information or the amount of time offered freely, but often, if you call an expert, they’ll be more than happy to talk about their field of expertise for a while. Enough to get you started towards an answer, or at least enough to let you know that you need some expert help.

Cool stuff, if you think about it. Similar to the old maxim “All of us is more than one of us”. And it might turn out that you do business together.