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In Margaret Heffernan’s book A Bigger Prize she sets out in alarming detail how our obsession with competitiveness can lead to multiple poor outcomes, “rising levels of fraud, cheating, stress, inequality and political stalemate, siblings won't speak to each other, children burning out at school, doping proliferating among athletes, auditors and fund managers going to jail for insider trading...” Frankly the full list is frightening. So why do we do it and how can we do things better? In many ways, competition is a natural state of a biological organism, it is visible in siblings from a young age as they compete for mother’s attention, and it is ingrained in us at school, not just with sports but with academic tests and competitions. Coupled with this, a lack of self-confidence can become an urge to feel like the ‘best’. It is no wonder therefore that some find their lives dominated by a need to beat others and sometimes undermine others to do so. For one proof of how fruitless this is, google William Muir’s famous chicken research from his time at Purdue University. In summary two flocks of chickens were created. One contained the most productive birds and one had birds with multiple productivity levels. The first flock got pecked to bits while the second produced prodigiously. Thankfully there is another way. The easiest and most relevant examples for us here at Calmworks® are the collaborative and inclusive methods used in businesses like those where even conflict is reimagined as a way of achieving productivity. A simple tried and tested way to promote collaboration is the method of increasing groups. Firstly, individuals are sent off to come up with solutions to a problem. Then these individuals are grouped together in pairs and told to share and rework their ideas. Then they are grouped together in teams of four or five and told to do the same. Finally, the entire team pools the ideas. This discussion format ‘forces’ a collaboration of ideas and naturally ameliorates any sense of the one, the hero or the ‘best’, or even any idea of ‘sole authorship’. If you encourage your team to communicate their ideas and support each other, and you yourself lead from the top without a hint of competition, you will see increasing strength, flexibility and authority reflected in the work. So, if you know you’re naturally competitive, watch out, you may be influencing your colleagues, or worse, getting the least out of your hierarchical subordinates, or even worse, negatively affecting personal relationships! As always, take a breath, let go any ‘need’ to be competitive, love who you are and what you’re capable of, open, encourage, support, collaborate, listen, learn, and enjoy.
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