Symbiosis derives from two Ancient Greek words for ‘together’ and ‘living’. In nature, it refers to the close relationship between living organisms. I’d like to talk about Mutual Symbiosis and how its relevance is not restricted to the natural environment, but also applies to the Corporate Environment.

A classic example of mutualism in the natural world lies between the Pilot Fish and the shark. Their relationship is self-evident: Parasites are removed from the shark’s teeth and skin, while the Pilot fish is provided with protection from predators as well as sustenance. You can see where I’m going with this, but we’ll approach another – corporate environment – example to put it into perspective:
Pixar and Disney. Before the amalgamation (Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 in Jan 2006), they had a very effective mutualistic relationship whereby each corporation plugged a gap in the other: Disney acquired Pixar’s advanced animation capabilities, while Pixar benefited from Disney’s iconic characters.

Having juxtaposed these two examples, we can see that there are strong links between natural and corporate mutualism, and the effect on both parties is evidently positive. However, if the symbiosis becomes obligate – depending completely on each other for survival – in the corporate environment, it places an inappropriate amount of pressure and risk on both parties. Corporate symbiosis should help growth and advancement without being completely reliant on one another, and therefore vulnerable. The relationship should be facultative.

We are a part of the evolution of the natural environment, and business is what we DO. With symbiosis said to be a strong driving force of evolution in nature, it is apparent that the same rule can be applied in business. We are moving into an era where corporations increasingly develop interdependent or mutualistic relationships. The aim is to strike a deal and provide each entity with value. We look at it as ‘how can we both benefit to the maximum?’. We sit down and get to know one another.