Competitive people have a desire to win. On the surface, you might not think there is anything wrong with that. But what if the person they are competing with is someone in the same company or organisation?
This happens more often than you realise.
- If there is a culture that recognises individual performance, there will be competitiveness;
- If there are rewards or bonuses for getting higher sales figures, there will be competitiveness;
- If the company promotes the person who gets the best results, there will be competitiveness.
The competitive person sits across the table from the people they are ‘competing with’ and says, “I need to be better than you.” This approach promotes an adversarial relationship which may not encourage cooperation or collaboration.
The culture will have a part to play in this. The system may be set up to promote it. You may not be in a position to change the system. You may not be able to have a significant impact on the culture. If, however, you find yourself thinking competitively, a simple mindset shift can help you move into a better space.
Rather than say, “I need to be better than you,” shift your frame of mind to, “What can I learn from you?” This perspective will put you into a growth mindset rather than an adversarial one. It will offer you opportunities to work with your team rather than against one another, and it will promote relationship building rather than competition.