March 2016 – Competitiveness Inspires Productivity
Competition within the workplace and in most spheres of life provides a catalyst to achieving outcomes. In essence, human beings perform at a higher level in the presence of competition than in its absence.
Employees generally have a desire to not only achieve, but to attain more than their counterparts. Subsequently this serves as a catalyst for productivity. However be that as it may, competition has to be healthy. Healthy competition allows for collaboration to take place between employees and encourages knowledge-sharing.
Competition can be either direct competition (whereby an individual competes with another) or cooperative competition (whereby a team works together to achieve team outcomes).
To surmise the importance of competition, the legendary American entrepreneur, cartoonist and film producer, Walt Disney, said “I have been up against tough competition all my life. I would not know how to get along without it.”
The importance of competition within our lives should be not underestimated as it has and will continue to propel us towards numerous accomplishments and improvements. The benefits of well managed competition within the workplace, can be categorised as:
- Inspires productivity
- Providing individuals with motivation to achieve objectives and increase work output.
- It provides a platform for cohesive teamwork, as well as, a platform whereby strengths on team members are projected and optimal team performance is achieved
- It can improve overall commitment to quality
- Competition inspires creativity within individuals
- Inspires creativity and efficiency within the workplace
- Competition serves as a test of an individual capability and gauges the degree to which individuals are able to work under pressure and stressful situations
- Competition within a workplace creates an atmosphere whereby merely meeting targets is not personally acceptable, there is a need to produce work that is of the greatest quality
- Healthy and effective competition will result in higher productivity and efficiency being achieved which subsequently leads to an increase in the net income of the organisation
Competition within teams allows for team building to occur. Putting a group of individuals together does not justify a team, but give those individuals a goal or a target and you will see how team work fosters. WebWorkerDaily states that “If you find a way to work together, you can help compensate each other’s weaknesses and build on both your strengths,” When channelled effectively, competition has a wide variety of benefits within teams such as:
- It encourages individuals and teams to work hard and to achieve objectives
- Facilitates effective team work, as well as, provides a platform whereby strengths of team members can be utilised in order to obtain optimum performance of a team
- It allows for individuals and team to achieve great accomplishments in the context of stretching targets, realistic time frames, clear guidance, and supportive management
Competition does not entirely eliminate mediocrity and laziness, but it creates an interpersonal need and a climate where this type of behaviour is unacceptable. The art of competition acknowledges what we want, it allows us to focus our efforts based upon an objective, goal or outcome we desire. Therefore, competition acts as the lubricant that brings us closer to satisfying our desire. Can we seek personal reflection by what drives our competitive urge?
In conclusion, one of the most famous athletes and basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan stated that “You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.” Therefore, it can be said that your greatest competitor is the person who stares at you in the mirror. Let competition and productivity inspire you, because you are capable of being the greatest and most productive version of yourself.