Want a Stronger Team Culture? Make It Competitive.
Competition within a workplace is often perceived as a double-edged sword. Some say too much competition pits employees against each other, creating a dog-eat-dog rat race; others thrive on the very idea, using it to intrinsically push each other forward.
The conundrum here lies in that many companies today aren’t sure how much competition is considered to be healthy. Indeed, any business shouldn’t make the mistake of eliminating competition altogether, but instead, learn how to incorporate it into their current team culture.
So, how can businesses create a culture of healthy competition? Here are 5 ways to gear your employees up for some friendly rivalry:
1. Start off on the right note
To inject a healthy dose of competition, start off on the right note and keep the overall tone fun and light-hearted to avoid the situation adopting a cutthroat nature. Make sure that your employees are all on the same page and keep open minds. One way to do this is to hold regular discussions, allowing your employees to share their opinions and argue for their use of limited resources.
As stated by Entrepreneur, it’s pertinent to teach and promote healthy conflict. Many employees often tend to be conflict-adverse, choosing to shy away from difficult conversations with their colleagues. However, when conducted properly, these discussions might prove to productive in the long run. Such situations also open up opportunities for employees to bounce ideas off each other and challenge their creative boundaries.
2. Reward accordingly
In line with keeping the end goal in mind, businesses should put the right incentive in places so as to foster a good sense of competition among their employees. These incentives don’t necessarily have to be monetary compensation – businesses can consider giving due recognition in other ways, such as a simple gift or even verbal commendation.
Vincent Low, Director and General Manager of Canon’s Business Imaging Solutions, further emphasises that celebration is a core value that fosters closer bonds between peers and contributes to the success of the team. A proper recognition and reward system will incentivise employees to put in their all, as they know that their hard work will not go unnoticed.
3. Encourage team competition
Businesses can also encourage their employees to compete in teams. Doing so might help to alleviate the stress placed on any individual, and successes will be deemed as a team effort. That being said, employees will be motivated to work hard as a team and be driven to help push their team members forward.
Encouraging teams to come up with ideas and picking the best one for implementation not only forces employees to think out of the box, but also generates a bank of ideas that can be used for any future pitches. This also helps to promote a sense of collaboration, where team members are able to learn from each other in the process. Working in teams will also cultivate team bonding, a key aspect of building strong a team culture in any workplace.
4. Keep the end goal in mind
It’s imperative for businesses to constantly remind employees of the end goal, where “team first” should be the top priority. Whether they are competing on a team or individual level, the end goal should always be for the benefit of the community or company.
Doing so can also help to create positive company associations among employees. Knowing that they are playing a valued role in contributing towards the company’s success not only gives them more personal validation but also pushes them to speak more positively of their company. Having such a positive association will have a direct impact on final work output, increasing overall productivity and work quality.
5. Lead by example
It’s said that when any company’s top management does not “walk the talk”, any attempts at cultivating a positive and healthy team culture will not be very effective. Organisational leaders need to lead by example – only then can they hope that the rest of the employees are able to follow suit.
Think about it this way: if the leaders aren’t doing what they are supposed to do, then why should the employees even bother? Employees will inevitably be disheartened, in turn discrediting what the company is trying to push for.
Introducing the right amount of competition can make work processes less mechanical and repetitive. It can help to shake things up a little and push employees into an environment where they can learn from each other. What companies can recognise is that everyone appreciates some level of competition, especially when they can visibly see what benefits they can derive in return. In such cases, all businesses have to be cognizant of how to tread the fine line between healthy and unhealthy competition.
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