The office environment can operate similarly to a live sporting event when it comes to what drive performance. A rivalry or friendly competition may seem like a bad thing to cultivate in your company because essentially you’re all on the same team but in actuality there are some merits to nurturing a competitive spirit too. When it comes to the environmental concerns of office policy concerning how vicious things can get, avoiding the subject of competition can only make things worse because it’s going to happen with or without addressing it; however if you face it you can adequately set up safeguards to get only the best out of it. Let’s take a quick risk assessment of an office environment embroiled in competition to see the benefits one can cultivate from it.
Productivity and Performance
Obviously one of the biggest boons for the office environment is productivity when it comes to competition. There’s nothing quite as motivating as trying to be a victor; a rivalry is infamous for pushing inherently great people to do great things, taking Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison as the most famous example of such a rivalry. While one needs to put a particularly strong rivalry in check because the office environment begins to have health and safety concerns, a healthy rivalry will always produce results for both sides of the competition win or lose which ironically means everyone wins.
Contrary To Expectations
When it comes to standards in the office environment, competition certainly helps by edging the envelope forward ever so slightly with each passing day it exists. While a manager might worry that competition is splitting his team or narrowing the focus down to one topic, anything is possible with a bit of perspective. For example, the focus that comes with competition also allows for wider oversight because success in one aspect can be understood and repurposed to any eventuality.
Bolstering Teamwork
Another ironic turn of events when it comes to competition in the office environment is that while it shifts regulations concerning teamwork, it actually creates better teamwork through rivalries. Inter-office competition will have everyone working to the best of their ability with an incentive to perform; all this also cultivates and encourages everyone to think differently which in turns stimulates the mind. A routine or expectations that the office environment will be the same day in and out can kill motivation, so competition boosts the company by boosting teamwork through individuals.
Eugene Calvini is a writer with experience ranging from management at office space in Singapore to consultancy at executive suites in Los Angeles; his grasp on the office environment is second to none.