Collaboration vs Competition

Why is it so difficult to distinguish between competition and collaboration? Why do 21st-century organizations embrace competition? Why do people say nothing if they are being “graded”?

You could say, "but there is something good about being graded, you will try to get better and better". But that is not the way the human brain functions.

To begin, if you enjoy grades, first places, and being in constant competition, nothing is wrong with you, you only act and think like this because of your history and culture, you think you enjoy competition because this is what you have learned, and it is the way people have behaved over the years. And this "aiming to compete" started when we were kids.

Since we were kids, we have learned to “get noticed”, to “be better”, and to “out-stand" from others, yes, competing. When we had a better grade our parents would tell us "we are very proud of you", and, let's be honest: Who does not want their parents to feel proud of them? But since we were kids, we learned to see each other as adversaries (sounds like a strong way to say it but that is just the way it is), with “first places”, grades, and competitions or “who ends the tasks first”, we encourage individuals, to compete, to compare with each other, to try to be better and to get best results than others.

And when we arrive at an organization the first thing that we hear or say is, “work as a team”. Yes, but how?

I started studying human behavior about 12 years ago. And this was because I started to give organizational consulting to companies about being more productive. I studied several methods, practices, and techniques, and throughout these years, I realized that to get great results we, as leaders, must create an environment where people can be heard, recognized, and where they feel in a safe place to perform at their best, and where they are supported when things go awry. People need congruency, so they know that they can commit with their heart and soul to an organization's purpose without that organization turning its back on them.

So, the questions here could be: Can we create safe environments when we are competing with each other? Will people feel safe sharing ideas when the person next to them may be their adversary? Let me put it as simple as: Am I going to wish the person well if they are my adversary? Are we going to trust each other if we are in a competition?

War

Imagine, a study compares the feelings when people are competing for recognition or for a reward to what people feel during wars, yes, wars. So, why it is so popular? Why do so many organizations still use these approaches with people? Why do people who are graded keep quiet about this??

Because that is the way that organizations have been working forever. If we are inside the system (organizational), it is more difficult to detect a system flaw. And because being there feels so great, to begin with (been there, done that!). Also, studies say that when we are in the middle of a competition our adrenaline activates, and our body gets some extra energy to win. That sounds great, right? In the short term, yes, but the secondary effects could be a disaster.

In the long term, we see each other as individuals (not as a team), and we stop sharing ideas (obvious because we think the adversary could steal them and in consequence, be the winner). We will never integrate every person's talent and uniqueness when we keep comparing each other, which means we do not even realize which are our talents. Because we aim to win as an individual, we avoid seeing others as a contribution, as a part of something bigger.

When we see each other as adversaries we do not share thoughts, we see others as someone we must beat, and it is just not normal! Because we have different abilities, we are human beings!?

Competence vs Humanity

Let's be clear: Human beings are unique. So, it is against human nature to compare to each other.

Every single one of us is unique, with unique thoughts, unique feelings, unique proposals, and unique points of view. And this has everything to do with our past, our education, our family, our culture, and our own points of view. That is why competing does not make any sense.

When we do not compete and see each other as a contribution to a greater purpose, we share ideas and share time. Each person grows in self-esteem because they can see themselves as a gift. And teams grow because everyone embraces their differences and their uniqueness as part of the team. The organization then grows because we stop seeing each area, and other teams as an adversary, we connect with the purpose of the organization and see it as our own, and each person sees themself as a contribution, and only then, they can see others as a contribution. And the result is obvious: the communication gets better, the productivity improves, the negotiations get better, and the innovation improves because every new idea is bred in teams, not from individuals working individually for their own reward or to beat others.

Could this ever happen? Yes, and we as leaders may be the catalysts for eliminating the mindset of competition from the workplace and embracing a collaborative mindset. Imagine, if we finally realized that we do not have to compete ever again, what world will our kids live in in the future? Where we see each other as a contributor, and in every interaction, we think, "what can I learn from them?" I will share everything that I am, and I will receive everything the other person could give (knowledge, support, energy, company, etcetera).

And talking about kids, as a matter of fact, grades in schools should disappear, because they only show a little tiny part of their knowledge or competency. But they do not show the uniqueness of each person, with different thoughts, interests, feelings, and emotions. But that will be the subject of another article. Promise.

All these years of studying human behavior and consciousness in people and organizations I have realized that it is not that simple to say: “stop competing, now, collaborate”. Is like you were against everyone who encourages you to be first, and against all the recognition that we have “gained” in our lives. It takes time (that is why this transformation from competitive to collaborative environments can take any time from 6 months to 1 year (and then continue towards a continuous improvement mindset)), but after this people have realized that there is a new and better way of living. I believe this is the time to stop embracing competition and start creating collaborative environments in schools, families, and, of course, organizations.