How to deal with Competition at your Workplace?

You can’t look at the competition and say you’re going to do it better.

You have to look at the competition and say you’re going to do it differently.

STEVE JOBS

Go through the last line again; Steve says “…do the competition differently.”

But I think this is the actual problem: we already know every workplace have competition & we in some form have to deal with it, yet “how” comes into our mind.

I myself planned to execute a different kind of competitive behaviour so that it may look healthy yet beneficial for me, & have also seen many others trying and applying different strategies to stand out. Although, in most cases, we do end up having one conflict behaviour with the competitors and believe or not it affects our productivity.

But on the other hand, there are certain cases or say strategies that worked and ended up benefiting competitors as well as the company through employee satisfaction & hence efficiency.

So what are those strategies that guide us for how to deal with Competitors at the Workplace or how to manage the Competition at your Office / Workplace differently & smartly?

I have been working on the same & have come up with certain trial & tested steps in order to plan – how to deal with Competition and have mentioned them below in the more detailed form:-

1. The Psychology behind Competition –

Have you read about the concept; In order to become an expert, you have to familiarise yourself with its origin.

Therefore, as Google says “Competition – An organised event in which people indulge are trying to achieve the same thing or to be better than the other.”

So if you ask an Employer ‘Competition’ – It is one of the key factors that lead to employee efficiency & hence a major contribution towards achieving organisational goals.

And if you ask an Employee; It helps them seek their calibre and they get motivated. A healthy competition improves their relationship with a colleague as well.

2. Know your Colleague –

Competition; be it a game or a task, knowing your defender always works in favour. This can simply be quoted:

1. Listen carefully to how your competitor behaves and talks.
2. Look for them and their views
3. Figure out their Personality
4. Learn about them.

You can also test whether you understand them correctly or not. For example, you can create any conversation with them & try to figure out what can be possibly their reaction. And if you get it right… you can move on to your next strategy.

3. Be in-friends at the workplace –

Having friends at the workplace benefits you as a backup if things get wrong. And definitely one requires psychological support for peace of mind. So,

1. Build a friendship network; this can be your competitor or any other/same department colleague.
2. Working together benefits in understanding & creating a personalised impression as well.
3. Ask for help, let them have their views and actions.
4. If there is some kind of misunderstanding, try and act that you are genuinely friendly & show that – that just not you.
5. Appraising or cheering upon their success or efforts works like a tip.

4. Play your Part –

No matter what the situation is or what is the level of competition, do not lose your focus from the actual motive.

You should know about your rights and should have good intentions to apply them accordingly.

Stay attentive towards your personality, your USP and don’t let your Competitor have an easy win because you lost focus from the actual work.

5. Look for the Bright Side and Benefits –

Overcoming ‘hindrances’ are common now, what makes difference is how smartly you work with them.

Same way, competition seems a hindrance, and to work with it smartly one can practice the following:

1. If you are indulging in any work-related conversation with them, try to make it in writing.
2. Stay aware of any rumour is being spread about you, yet do not get involved in any office politics.
3. Even if other colleagues can see competition, try and make others see that you are a team player and can be trusted.

For example – You can help them achieve their targets (without keeping your own at risk).

1. Boosting competitor’s ego and complementing them. You can take benefits (Note: do not create wrong practices).
2. This one is simple; If you can’t beat them, join them.

6. Actions over Silence –

Honestly, certain actions are required to solve issues. Some actions can be prepared and some are to be directly applied as per the situation.

Because you are in a competition you should always be ready for any 11th-hour smart decision.

Preparations can include;

1. If things are on a minor level, one can avoid them. Keep your distance and stay out of their way.
2. Talking works; Maturity is when you talk, because they may not have realised that they are being overly competitive.
3. If things do not work, go and talk to your Boss, authorities can get work done smoothly.
4. If then also it does not get solved and you really can’t work with it, consider moving teams or departments or find another job.

Being vocal about your problems, sharing and looking for a solution is a smart decision. For example; If in a meeting a certain colleague is stealing your ideas and suggesting them, you can speak up and say “Thank you for sharing the idea that I mentioned earlier …”

On the other hand, reverting hard is wrong; one should act civil and respect everyone.

7. Integrity Stands out Effectively –

Maintaining your integrity is the most important practice. A study by Bentley University found that 84% of business leaders (including corporate recruiters) believe integrity to be the most important quality in an employee.

Therefore even if you are indulging in a hardcore competition, following your ethics becomes your major role. It’s good to know your rights and not using any unfair methods to compete.

 

So, these were certain strategies explained precisely for dealing with competition smartly at the workplace. Hope for them to be easy and effective to apply. And also, I would like to end up sharing what I have learned so far in cooperating life –

Competitions are awesome! (Although, I understood, only when I followed the above-mentioned strategies). We learn we develop and to mention; we make friends. So it’s kind of our good deeds when we get opportunities like these.

And I wish you the same! So, Enjoy!