Competition doesn’t have to be all bad – but there are limits
In order to understand competition correctly and to be able to deal with it well, it helps to know about its origin. The Berlin careers consultant Petra Barsch and the qualified psychologist and consultant Madeleine Leitner explain to ze.tt that competitive thinking has a lot to do with recognition – if you have a large ego or low self-esteem, you are looking for confirmation in comparison with others. That doesn’t always have to be bad: “As long as competition encourages higher, better performance and is carried out openly – as long as competition is considered competition, it’s okay,” says Barsch. And Leitner adds: “There are companies that encourage and reward constant comparisons between employees.” Great ambition can also promote strong competitive thinking, because if you want to go high, you have to overtake others.
But: “Competition in the job tips when [
] the envy factor comes to the fore and when unfair means are then resorted to,” continues Barsch. Because documents that seem to have disappeared, information that has not been communicated, exclusion and gossip damage a good and productive working atmosphere.
Reality checks can help to better classify one’s own performance
So the idea that “competition stimulates business” can also backfire. And not only because it leads to bullying, but also because too much competition can lead to even worse self-doubt – for example, if you do worse than your colleague several times in a row.
In the worst case, such developments can lead to depression and burnout. That’s why Barsch recommends: “It’s better to concentrate on yourself and your own strengths” and do a reality check again and again in order to be able to classify your own performance realistically (and without comparing it to others). Coach Kristine Qualen explains a strategy for comparing reality to the Augsburger Allgemeine. She suggests taking time to reflect every two to six months on what you have achieved since the last reality check, what successes you have achieved. You should write all this down and read it again at the next low point in order to boost your ego even in a bad competitive phase.
There is often no avoiding a clarifying conversation
But if it doesn’t work to suppress envy or focus on your own strengths, you can’t avoid a clarifying conversation, say the experts. It is important to first be clear about what exactly one cannot accept any longer. “The next step is to think about how the issue can be solved and then to start the conversation with a suggestion, an attitude or a demand” – possibly also in the presence of the superior. It is about changing the structures in the office so that all employees feel comfortable and can work productively again. If this is not achieved, changing jobs can also be a possibly painful but correct solution.
Olga Rogler / Editor finanzen.net
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