In high performing company cultures, competition has its place in driving performance metrics, and energising teams and individual contributors in reaching ambitious goals, coming up with unique creative ideas to reach those goals, and it brings an organisation / department together by sharing a consequential purpose. However, when it comes to building healthy relationships, a competitive nature can breed hostility and spoil cooperation between team members and associates. It does not make for a collegial environment.
Does the word “collegial” matter in the modern workplace when it has become a norm for businesses to compete on a high level, centred on the fast pace, high tech, AI world they operate in.
Forcing them to acclimatise and develop marketing orientated environments to remain relevant? Inherently directly or indirectly, determining the organisational culture and guiding the behaviour of talent in the workplace? Driving competition between colleagues in order to become or remain irreplaceable?
When working in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environments, partnership and collaborative behaviours and values are proven to deliver qualitative and innovative interim / long term solutions. It reiterates Newton’s belief of standing on the shoulders of giants. Seeing further because of collective learning and action. It takes many people to move a people.
A case for healthy competition
When used correctly, healthy competition can persuade employees to:
- Push beyond their limits
- Stay ahead of the curve by adapting to an robust environment through continuous improvement and development opportunities
- deliver high productivity, performance and delivery
- Be accountable in peer to peer settings and in their teams,
- Become result orientated, impacting the ROI
- Share lessons and learn from peers through feedback and review
Naturally, benefiting the organisation as a whole. Employees may seek to differentiate themselves by providing unique perspectives and contributions to projects and issues that impact the organisation’s strategy and bottom line.
The unique challenges of unhealthy competition
Unhealthy competition carries the risk of nurturing detrimental and toxic behaviours that weaken interpersonal dynamics. Employees may prioritize their personal ambitions over harmonised or team success. Eroding trust, generating conflict and resentment among colleagues and team members. Furthermore it may create a sense of the fear of failure amongst staff – the consequences of falling short of expectations, can stifle ingenuity and stall the exploration of new ideas.
If competition is excessive or poorly managed, it may breed a culture of cutthroat rivalry, where individuals are more focused on outperforming their colleagues or “competition” than finding ways to collaborate effectively and work together on shared goals. Particular employees may resort to sabotage, backstabbing, or unethical behaviour – bringing about a toxic atmosphere that not only undermines company morale but damages organisational culture and negatively affects employee retention – hurting your company brand and reputation.
Inevitably breeding siloed work environments, initiating communication barriers, declining company morale and hindering knowledge sharing amongst colleagues. Not the ideal collegial environment.
At some point this kind of pressure to outshine others will become stressful and impact the wellbeing of the team and the relationship dynamics of an organisation. Also, studies have shown that prolonged exposure to competitive environments without adequate support and resources can have detrimental effects on mental health and well-being, further diminishing company morale.
The leaders role in striking a balance
Organisational leaders should set clear expectations that promote healthy competition, recognise and reward both individual and team achievements and nurture a supportive environment that emboldens a collaborative, professional and collegial company culture. Leadership has an opportunity to encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and continuous improvement. They should cultivate a culture where mistakes are viewed as valuable learning experiences rather than failures.
In addition, they should walk the talk by promoting a culture of respect, honest and open communication, transparency and design an environment where competition serves as a source of stimulus rather than division amongst departments, teams or colleagues. This can drive teamwork, celebrate diversity of thought and emphasize the collective pursuit of strategic achievement on a whole.
The question of whether competition is healthy for work relationships is nuanced and complex. While competition can drive productivity, its impact on work relationships depends largely on how it is managed and cultivated within the organisational context. Organisations can leverage the positive aspects of competition to boost collective success. However, it is imperative to establish clear expectations and mitigate the negative impact of competition by ensuring that a collegial environment is built on a foundation of trust, respect and cohesion.
