ALT-1 Why being Competitive within the Workplace Isn’t always a Positive Thing
A little competition in the workplace is a good thing. Too much competition can breed an unhealthy atmosphere within a workplace. If you have a very competitive nature, you would do well to curb it just a little. Being extremely competitive can make you do some very unpleasant things in your drive to succeed at work.
If you are overly competitive, you can forget about others as you strive to show that you are the best. Colleagues can help so much in your career. Some of the skills and abilities that you need to succeed in your career are in the way you relate to other workers. You may be so intent on getting your ideas heard that you fail to listen to colleagues may also have good, relevant ideas that you are ignoring. The idea that you are not listening to, might be the one that could have helped both you and your colleague towards promotion.
If you are overly competitive, you may appear rude to your colleagues. Talking over other people, when they are trying to voice their ideas or sneering at others or constantly putting other people down to prove that you are better than they are, is bad manners. It is also very immature behaviour and shows a lack of personal skills, no sensible employer would promote someone who cannot relate and interact properly with others. It will also make your colleagues resent you. This resentment may not bother you at first but it will, eventually.
Overly competitive and ambitious people tend to think that they only need to bother with people, who could be useful to their careers. They tend to ignore those they consider beneath them in the company hierarchy. A word with the receptionist, or cleaner, in the morning costs nothing and, you never know, something someone says can spark an idea that helps you to look at that terrible project in a different way so that you bring it off spectacularly.
People, who are overly competitive, can be tempted to do some incredible things to achieve their career aims, from stealing the credit for other people’s ideas or work to actually sabotaging other people’s careers. If you even think about anything at all in that vein, it is time to take a long hard look at your competitive ways.
If you are very competitive, you may work very hard and work long hours into the bargain. You can only do this for a short time before it begins to tell on your physical and mental well-being. Too much stress is bad for anyone and affects both physical and mental health. Competitive people could work themselves into a heart attack, nervous breakdown or burn out.
A little friendly competition in the workplace is a good thing. However, taking competition too far can damage your career, your health and your standing with superiors and colleagues.
