14 August 2008

Executives say co-workers compete more now than a decade ago

Beijing isn't the only place where people are competing, look inside your office.

by Sona Hathi, Assistant Editor, the Internal Comms Hub

Senior executives believe that employees are now more competitive towards each other than they were 10 years ago, according to research developed by recruitment firm, OfficeTeam.

The research was based on interviewes with 150 senior executives selected at random from the 1,000 largest companies in the US. Of these interviewees, 46% said competition among the workforce had "somewhat" or "significantly" increased in the last decade. Only 26% said that employees had become less competitive.

Less competiton, more collaboration
"In an uncertain economy, people grow more concerned about job security and proving their worth to employers," said Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "This pressure to perform may result in rivalries between employees."

Willmer added, "A bit of healthy competition among staff can increase motivation and productivity, but, just as in sports, the overall results of the team are what count. Too much intramural competition creates tension and stands in the way of collaboration."

Sprinters, Weightlifters and Gymnasts battle it out
From the research, OfficeTeam has identified the following 5 common workplace competitors, the company also offers advice on how to encourage each of these to compete less and collaborate more.

The Sprinter – This employee races to the finish on projects, sometimes overlooking the details. Commend him on his long-term view and enthusiasm, but encourage him to avoid cutting corners in the process.

The Weightlifter – This employee views her achievements in terms of quantity rather than quality, often taking on more projects than she can reasonably accomplish satisfactorily and on time. Offer to redistribute some of her work among others and encourage her to focus on doing a first-rate job rather than attempting to do too much at once.

The Gymnast – This person aims for perfection and tends to want to complete projects on her own. While her bends and flips may be impressive, you may have to diplomatically counsel her to channel her talents more toward team goals rather than spending her time on solo routines.

The Pole Vaulter – No challenge is too great for this employee, who lobbies to take on the highest-profile projects. While this can-do spirit is helpful, it's important to not let this worker monopolize all of the most challenging assignments.

The Saboteur – This athlete is present in every sport. He's the runner who trips others near the finish line, the soccer player who always gets the yellow card or the basketball player who is ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. His struggle to get ahead at the expense of others ends up damaging his team's chances. Explain to him the value of playing by the rules and focusing his energy on collaborating with colleagues rather than personal glory.

Politics is rife too
Along with these competitive types, the Hub also highlighted the political types roaming around in the workplace. These include liberal mediators, bandwagon opportunists, shop stewards, traditionalists, environmentalists and eccentrics.

All these alternative employee categories show that there's a lot more to employees than what is described, or assumed in the formal organizational structure. Employees don't neccesarily work together, or communicate with one another in the way employers want them to. They have their own natural way of working according to their personalites and preferences, which can often clash with the "corporate" way of doing things.

There are unofficial networks and rivalries in every organization but according to the report Viral Communication in the Workplace, this isn't a bad thing. Communicators need to make the most of the unofficial networks to spread messages and influence employees.

"Quote from Kieron?"

"The networks of formal communication don't necessarily reflect the networks of informal communication – people talk to each other across units, people talk to the security guard, the receptionist, the guy downstairs in the post room. There are actually loads of communication networks that exist outside the organizational shell,"

Have your say
Who are the Sprinters and Gymnasts in your organization? How can internal communciators encourage a more collaborative culture?

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