People view competition in many different ways. In the business world it is often viewed negatively as it can impact profit margins and companies must compete for a share of the pie. From a customer’s perspective competition drives better service, better prices and better value.
Personally I am a big fan of competition, it pushes me to the next level, it forces me to get better. Inside organizations competition can also prove to be a positive force but no all competition is healthy and productive.
Unhealthy competition develops when the following happens:
1. When it causes people to feel negatively about other peoples’ successes as opposed to motivated.
2. When people wish for others to have obstacles so that they are held back.
3. When people feel shame when they fail.
4. When it motivates people to seek competitors who are naturally weaker than themselves, so that they feel an advantage.
Healthy competition can be a great productivity booster in organizations and drive better results. Here are some of the benefits:
1. It encourages people involved to strive further and push themselves harder than they would have without competition.
2. It drives people to achieve more growth and success – not because they are driven to win or lose – but because they are doing your best at something that you care about.
3. It changes the boundaries of what you believe you are capable of and stretches the limits of what you believe is possible.
4. It requires the courage to take risks, requires the willingness to fail, and necessitates a vulnerability to admit you are ambitious to succeed.
The worlds best organizations balance healthy competition with cross company collaboration
What type of competition do you see in operation where you work? Do different functions compete in a healthy way? Do they collaborate?
