Competition is everywhere, it’s in all aspects of our lives. From having the best cars, to wearing the top brands, we are always striving to outdo our counterparts. Even at kids sporting events, the parents are yelling & screams at their children to be on their A-game. I mean heck, I am victim to this each and everyday. It’s a running joke about how hyper active & competitive I am. It’s in my nature to be though. Are you competitive? What is funny is that when I worked for an employer before I started NVS, I was a very hit the ground running, close my door & just work from start to finish with no interruptions & honestly no co-worker friends. Often times I outcast myself from my colleagues for this behavior. For me it was all about giving my all 110% all of the time. For others who did not know me apparently it came off cold & shielding.
Back in 2015 Forbes wrote an article about competitiveness in the work place & the effects of it. Do we need competition to thrive? The article states that due to the pressure that competition brings it can give oneself the, “…willingness to push boundaries, trust one’s instincts, problem-solve…” This is very true. If you do not have anyone to race against then whats the point? You lag & take your time on things. It forces you to truly take initiative & decide right away with no second thoughts whats your course of action. More clear & concise thought processes are constructed.
The article goes on to say that, “too much competition can be deadly – killing morale, causing stress, and fostering backstabbing.” If you have Rob & Jack going up against who will make a promotion such as a partnership then with those stakes things can get aggressive also depending on the personalities at play. Lets say Rob is the type that is always climbing the social & work ladder at any cost. Well Rob might start to play a little dirty & start a slur campaign against his counter part causing Jack more stress then needed. Jack might retaliate & in return start talking badly about Rob or even cheat his way into getting the results he wants. A toxic environment is now formed & enemies that were maybe once friends are now at odds. No one wins.
The article suggest that instead of one on one competition teams should be made to where individuals can collaborate & build each other up. When one person is stagnant & cant seem to get from A to B, thats where the other member picks them up. It’s just like sports teams, in basketball you have a player that gets an assist because they helped someone make a basket. Or an RBI in baseball that causes the team to win. Better results are yielded that way.
I love this quote by Israeli Actress Gal Gadot, “I don’t see anyone as my competition. We don’t have the same dreams, goals, ambition, and for sure not the same brains.” We are all made completely differently that the end results will always be different & the person judging those results might have a different perspective than if another person would have judge. It can all be swayed in any direction. Compete with yourself, out shine your last goals & keep rising!
