weLEAD Online Magazine

leadingtoday.org

FOR THE GOOD OF THE GROUP

How to Encourage Cooperation over Competition

By Jody Urquhart

√ Develop a Spirit of Cooperation in your workplace

√ Determine if Your Acknowledgement Program is Causing Competition

√ Find out if Favoritism is Hurting your Team

√ Ensure Jobs are Designed for Function and not Power

Are you Creating Unnecessary Competition in your Workplace?

Some competition is healthy, but in most organizations it’s not. When you have to get along and work together, the act of pitting people against one another is dangerous. When surpassing others is more important than doing a good job, quality will suffer. If employees get wrapped up in competition, they will lose focus. Imagine if you could channel that same energy towards cooperating and meeting shared objectives.

Cooperation should be valued over competition because teams are far more powerful than individuals.

Three Factors that Create Competition in your Workplace:

1) Your acknowledgement program

2) Showing favoritism to certain employees

3) Emphasizing imbalances in power

Your Acknowledgement Program

Healthy competition or hoarding heroic praise?

When your star employees consistently bask in the spotlight, the motivation and determination of other staff members suffer. Everyone loses. A team environment counts on individuals working for the good of the group. This means that the superstars who love hoarding praise will spoil a team environment. Competition arises when people are set apart. Unfortunately, most generic award programs do exactly that (See Chapter Two - Caught in the Act).

Is your acknowledgement program causing competition?

Are the same “stars” continually acknowledged and usually selected for promotions?

Does your performance appraisal program lack elements that focus on teamwork?

If you answer yes to either of these questions, then your award program is causing unnecessary competition.

When you need people to cooperate as a team, consider rewarding cooperation and not competition. Start by giving awards and performance appraisals to teams, not individuals. Recognize employees who help others get things done or who work in the interest of the whole group. Cooperation is about working together in shared purpose.

How to emphasize Cooperation over Competition

1) Emphasize team accountability over individual performance.

Some workforces can be reorganized to emphasize team accountability over individual production. Start by creating a team objective instead of individual objectives and keep the focus on team performance. In this way, employees aren’t competing against each other, but strengthening their colleague’s efforts. Look at your current objectives and ask, “Which ones could be made into team objectives?”

2) Cooperation is about working together in shared purpose.

Managers should regularly look for opportunities to link individual performance to the good of the group. Emphasize group purpose in coaching sessions, in your acknowledgement program, in performance appraisals, in newsletters and at meetings.

3) Keep the big picture front and center.

Go through each job function with your employees and ask, “ How does this role link to (and help accomplish) the organization’s mission, vision and values?” Once you have answers, communicate them often.

4) Competition with other units or departments.

Is your department deemed superior to other departments? Some organizations inadvertently encourage status perceptions and it can be harmful to the overall organization. Keep communication open between departments and let employees work in other departments for a while. They will become ambassadors for each department and be a driving force to make them cohesive.

Showing Favoritism to Certain Employees

Favoritism directly encourages competition and destroys cooperation. Favoritism in the workplace is quite common. If managers are in a position to grant employees opportunities, what’s to stop them from showing preference to people they like? Managers may not even consciously realize they are being preferential. By nature, we are drawn to some people more than others because we share similar likes, dislikes or backgrounds.

Consider this example: A manager hires someone qualified for the job. After getting to know each other, these two people realize they both have a lot in common: both grew up on farms, they married their high school sweethearts, and they both like drinking rye and coke. Pretty soon, a bond forms. Everyone in the office can tell these two folks get along really well. Everyone will also soon notice if more challenging and interesting work goes to the friend because he and the manager are alike.

Pitfalls to Showing Favoritism:

· In some cases it’s illegal.

· Employees will resent you.

· Employees learn not to trust you.

· It’s unfair to be judged by individual likeability.

· It creates tension with other staff members.

· It harms your credibility.

Most people get a job thinking the most important measure of their success is performance. If they discover that managers are acknowledging, favoring or even promoting people just because they get along well with each other, the performance personnel will lose motivation. It also blurs the lines; employees will wonder what is important in this organization - performance or getting on well with the boss?

STEPS TO CONTROL FAVORITISM IN THE WORKPLACE

¨ When opportunities for special projects or advancement arise, be fair. Every employee with the right skills should be considered. Organizations need a process for internal promotions to make sure all candidates know of the opportunity and are treated fairly when they apply.

¨ It is valuable if more than one person can be involved with internal promotions. An objective outside party may be a good choice.

¨ If you think you might be showing favoritism to someone, ask yourself “Does this person make a good point, or do I just want him to be right?”

¨ Managers should be aware of how often they acknowledge certain employees over others and consciously create a balance.

Competitive Employees

Some people are born to be competitive. A problem develops when they steal the thunder from others, exaggerate results or withhold information. Some competition can be very healthy and motivating. Control aggressive competition however by recognizing it, and address it immediately. If someone exaggerates results, have her give evidence. If an employee withholds information, have him bring that information forward (privately not publicly). Then, say something like, “I know you are competitive, but I would like that competition to work for the good of the group.” Try not to establish too many competitive situations (e.g.. best sales awards) and finally, always link individual behavior to the overall contribution to the group.

Employees who Demand lots of Attention

Some employees crowd you for every ounce of your attention. Thwart these personal cheerleading attempts by demanding performance first. Recognition follows as a natural reward. It is not necessary to acknowledge employees for work they are supposed to do anyway. Look for opportunities to show approval, but be very specific about what you are praising, and link the individual’s behavior to the good of the group. Be careful to acknowledge everyone. Don’t focus all your kind words on those who leap out for approval.

Emphasizing Imbalances in Power: Designing Jobs for Power or Function?

Jobs that emphasize power insist there are lines of communication and protocol that must be obeyed. Often, employees with more power will oversee or approve others’ work. Sometimes, such as in the case of dealing with a new employee, it is necessary to supervise daily operations, but excessive management disintegrates team spirit and stimulates unhealthy competition.

The Test

For every supervisory or management role ask, “Is this position necessary for power or function?” It’s “functional” if the person overseeing the work is able to contribute to the overall process. If supervision is just a way to maintain control or power then the job should be re-designed. Everyone on the team should be contributing to the overall good of the project.

HOW TO BUILD A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

Large organizations often have units or departments that operate in almost complete isolation from other departments. Yet, they have a lot in common. They share mission, vision, values, products, services and more. Because of this isolation, many employees don’t get to feel as attached or committed to the final product. Some departments may not even see the final product. No matter how large an organization, it is a mistake to allow departments to operate in isolation. Employees should feel part of the overall direction of the organization.

Why not encourage all departments to build a spirit of cooperation throughout the organization?

Some Ways to Accomplish Inter-Department Cooperation

· Events

· Cross training in other departments

· Inter-department visits

· Cross-department communication vehicles

· Newsletters

· Have an employee from one department give a speech for another

ACTION PLAN

1. Develop elements in your rewards program that emphasize teamwork.

2. Eliminate rewards that cause competition.

3. Develop ways to emphasize group purpose.

4. Reassess your internal promotions system to eliminate favoritism.

5. For every job or role, ask, “Is this job designed for power or function?”

Comments to: ido@idoinspire.com

BACK TO weLEAD HOME PAGE

About the author:

Jody Urquhart, a popular speaker and writer, is recognized in Canada, the United States and Europe, She has presented her signature topic, Joy of Work, to 65 organizations last year alone. Her monthly column on the same subject appears in over fifty trade journals. Jody is also an associate speaker for the Individual Development Organization in Vancouver where she works with Bill Clennan, the Dean of Canadian Speakers.

Jody holds diplomas in Professional Speaking and Writing from Mount Royal College and in Management and Marketing from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. She studied Management for three years at the University of Calgary. Her business experience includes management positions in both the banking and retail industries. Jody is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and holds the distinction of being one of its founding board members. Jody is the author of the book “ALL WORK & NO SAY TAKES THE PASSION AWAY”. To order your copy, or to discuss having Jody speak at your next meeting, feel free to email her at ido@idoinspire.com