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Healthy competition is an essential component for not only businesses but employees to thrive. These healthy forms of competition can be impactful motivators for employees, especially those who get a little too comfortable at work, be it bonuses, monthly incentives, or climbing up the leaderboard. And well, let’s admit it - it’s fun to win and exciting to be the best. Small competitions with rewarding motivators can even brighten the most monotonous work days. But what happens when it gets a little too much?
You want to motivate your employees, but you also need to be mindful not to push them too hard. Establishing this balance proves difficult, one of the many struggles many employers and HR leaders face. You can start by recognizing how and when competition becomes toxic.
When competition overtakes collaboration
Often, employees are unconscious of how competitive their job or workplace has become since it’s easy to be swept away by the routine of constantly getting to the top. Although it seems like there’s nothing wrong at first glance, employees can get so used to competing with each other that they forget the big picture and the company's overall success. That’s where you know that competition has gotten a bit out of hand. A clear way of identifying this is mentality.
A healthy work environment functions in a way that “if one fails, we all fail. If one wins, we all win.” On the other hand, a toxic culture works in the opposite. It’s “they vs me” or “they’ve failed vs I’ve won”. There is zero teamwork in this type of disruptive mentality, which could seriously destroy collaboration. Another example is this: when employees share their experiences and insights, it strengthens your company as a whole. However, if your workers constantly focus on the leaderboard or personal rewards, chances are, they will keep those insights to themselves.
Rise of the inevitable: Office politics
A competitive environment generally has its ‘winners’, which only make up a small fraction of your workforce. Naturally, the majority of your employees would fall under the ‘losers’ category by default since not everyone can stay on top of the leaderboard every week. This type of environment would most likely produce hate and resentment among employees, building barriers between each other. Sure, goals are crucial. But if team members fight against each other internally, you’ll be left to deal with a toxic and closed-minded culture.
The effect on employees’ emotional well-being
Every job, every workplace has its fair share of stress. But when normal stress evolves into negative emotions, that’s not a good sign.
Based on an article for Business Leaders, it was found that anxiety and depression among salespeople are 3 times higher than in any other occupation. Participants in the survey revealed that the environment of working in sales and persistently needing to hit new targets had created a high level of stress for everyone involved, causing most to resign from their jobs. It’s unusual to hit targets ALL the time. So if employees believe that hitting targets is the key measure of their success, they will most likely feel like a failure when it’s not met, destroying their mental well-being at work. The same applies to reward-based incentives such as bonuses.
Competition in itself should be positive. So how can employers or HR leaders ensure that?
To start, ensure that any rewards are a reward, not a loss. When employees feel like their financial and emotional stability depends on their achievements or leaderboard, their well-being will undeniably take a hit. That is why it’s extremely crucial for your employees to feel empowered at work so that any rewards are simply an additional bonus.
Next, try to draw out shared goals. When you set goals for teams rather than individuals, you set yourself up for a collaborative and knowledge-sharing culture instead of infighting and secrecy. Fundamentally, it is wise to implement wider organizational goals in place.
More than that, to create engaging and empowered employees, cultivate regular check-ins that focus on their self-progression. In these sessions, you can set personal milestones based on their strengths and interests. This helps them work toward achieving milestones they are enthusiastic about instead of competing against their teammates. Also, consider rewarding employees who suggest solutions.
Keynote
Competition is bound to happen, and that is fine. But remember to control it and step in when things get out of hand. Regular praise, job satisfaction, and a positive work culture should motivate your employees daily. When you get these things right, including a little healthy competition will make any workplace thrive.
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