Management Articles Series : 4- Competing with Self

Perspective

We’re constantly told that we are in a competitive world , where we are supposed to be in competition with someone or something . all the time . We are so conditioned to believe this that we are blind to perspectives & possibilities beyond this conditioning . We don’t realise how very limiting it is , if not patently untrue if not untrue?. Let’s see how

?In ‘Competing’ – the direction is not bad ; it in fact can be a great drive which challenges us to bring out the best we have & pushes us to progress & excel . It is the perspective – who do we see as ‘competition ‘ that can act either as a constraint or an advantage !

?Being competitive is an advantage

In an organizational context , competition provides a benchmark to measure against – there is something visible and specific to chase , it poses challenges & puts pressure to perform better, raises standards of operation , pulls in efficiencies ,brings out the best in you , prompting us all the time to seek & scale higher peaks . All of this is supposed to benefit each of the players & the society at large .

What is true of organizations is also true for individuals .

?The flipside

Taken to the extreme , it’s a Rat race as they say – each attempting to outdo other & in some cases , even ‘ undo ‘ others?. It’s a kind of a war , whether we like it or not?. It’s a blacker side of competing where anything is considered ‘ done ‘ as long as it gets us ahead – be it in Job market or Pacing ahead of a fellow motorist ( at mutual risk ) in a busy traffic . We don’t realise how the focal point shifts from self ( winning ) to the ‘ other’ person ‘ ( defeating him/her) ,the goal degenerates to equate with the person ( opponent ) and the passion turns ( against ) personal ; which is where negativity starts , where opponent becomes an enemy & ‘ eliminating ‘ seems synonymous with ‘ defeating ‘ . This ‘ negative ‘?pursuit takes its?toll on our energy , mind & importantly on ethics !

?Beyond the possibility of degenerating into a hateful , destructive mindset , there are other, important disadvantages of ‘ competing with someone’

?# When we peg our success to someone/something pre existing , it can at best be relative & hence misleading .If in an academic group we are number 2 to a topper with 60 % score ….what would we consider a success ; surpassing 60 % or hold distinction with 85 % -90 %???Taken to the extreme , if we are conditioned to surpass someone , we will be utterly directionless when we become number 1?!

?#Such outlook can constrain our thinking . Fighting for the same pie & grabbing a piece instead /ahead of someone else ( an outlook of insecurity ) blinds us to the possibility that we can actually make the pie bigger ( an outlook of abundance ) so that each one has plenty . It’s challenging the assumption that those competing have to be on the opposite side of a table

?Competing with Self – An Alternative Perspective

Wouldn’t the world be more progressive , if we hold all advantages of being competitive , sans the ‘blacker side’ of competition ? As I said earlier , it is not the purpose , which is bad , it is the perspective that needs to change .

?There is a Sanskrit saying ( Subhashit ), which says that ‘You’re your best friend & also worst enemy’.?In corporate context it means , Best competitive challenge & Worst competitive threat to you is from within .

?Competing with Self – The Advantage?

?In a competition the closer we know our ‘ opponent ‘ ; the more successful will be our strategy to achieve our competitive goal . Among all people , who would we know most inside-out, than ourself & vice versa

When we mistake a rival for an enemy , negativity overtakes us ,which can be destructive . Competing with Self can only be constructive , since pursuit will be focused on the goal – not person & ‘elimination’ is not on agenda

Surpassing ourself- where today’s us strives to exceed its yesterday’s version , every day --?is an unending pursuit in excellence , like in reaching ‘ perfection’ . Regardless of who succeeds – our previous best or our current best ; WE are the winner ! Being conscious about need for continuous Self -Improvement to get better , everyday-- makes us a Seeker( like Ekalavya in Mahabharat ) – which is the biggest form of Empowerment .

Abraham Lincoln apparently used to stand in front of a mirror , everyday & ask – ‘ Am I a better person today , than I was yesterday ? ‘ It has two implications :

# You get outdated everyday

# ?To upgrade , is your obligation

?From my own experience , I can tell say that is no better challenge & inner drive than to outperform ourself .

?‘ Competing with self ‘ not only pushes us to excel – putting us on a much higher platform when competing with the external world , it also provides an absolute and never ending?benchmark .

?A Philosophical Outlook

Each of us have our own combination of strengths & idiosyncrasies . God has taken care to see that no two of his Human models are identical , physically , psychologically or in combination , which makes each of us as an unique offering ….we’re not like tomatoes or potatoes who look alike & trade as a commodity .

Philosophically speaking therefore each of us forms a unique?proposition & none logically is in competition with anyone else. This realization opens our minds & gives us a healthy outlook to the world & ourselves with greater respect & no hatred …there is no enemy !

?The choice is ours

There is nothing more compellingly constructive than competing with self . It is the most beautiful & progressive concept . From my experience ; if we compete with ourself , our competitive spirit will never exhaust !

?It finally comes down to making an individual choice ! We need to decide if we want to be a follower --- who is defined & measured vis-à-vis someone else or the leader , who will set standards for others?

?Either we believe that we are a commodity or are unique – if a commodity , compete with all others like us . If instead we believe , we are unique -compete with Self !?The choice is entirely ours