A thrilling episode of Silicon Valley revealed a very real workforce trend:
Internal Competition
An engineer grew insecure when presuming that a new hire made more money than he did. His assumption was only a matter of perception but it affected his performance.
Friendly competition has been driving results in organizations for as long as Game Mechanics have existed. But what happens when internal competition becomes unfriendly?
Are you competing with your co-workers for the betterment of the team?
Do personal differences affect the way you view others in the workplace?
Is your effort trumped by the perceptual value of more popular workplace personalities?
Is your sense of competition driven by jealously?
The Behavioral Economics behind Game Theory stipulate that competition should exist for the betterment of everyone playing the game. The basis of the competition should be to produce better results and evolve innovation.
Even the Bible states: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" - Proverbs 27:17
The Behavioral Economy nor the Words of the Prophet take into account that we humans are egotistical.
- We say we don't want to be recognized for our effort, but we do!
- We pretend not to care when we are passed up for promotion, then we go home and revise our resume.
- We pretend the words of our superior officers are ineffective, but we have to play the game to get ahead.
- We want to blow off that which is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the little things are what usually drive us away from companies.
You can be tweaked by the unfair nature of your workforce conundrum and still win every day!
How?
1. Allow collaboration to drive your workforce strategy.
2. Use your competitive nature to build a safety net.
Give More Than You Take
A9 - People Never Forget Your Effort & Integrity (or lack thereof). The Way You Treat People Today Will Follow You Everywhere! #NextChat
— David Kovacovich (@DavidKovacovich) May 6, 2015
What could be more simple than treating people with dignity? Yet, we allow our ego to cast us into desolation, unemployable and alone.
Does the heat of the moment get the best of you?
Are you incapable of controlling your emotions?
Are you focused on winning or do you just want to have it YOUR way?
Let go of the little battles. When it is time to put your sword in the ground be graceful.
Respect every opinion. Ask questions more than you instruct. Let logic lead.
People love coming to conclusions. They love it even more when they think they came up with the idea.
ALWAYS Have a Back Up Plan
Loyalty is a lost art in today's workforce. You can differentiate yourself simply by following orders. Too much loyalty can also leave you without options.
The worst thing that could happen is that you lose your job. If you know exactly how long you can stand to be without a pay check, and build your back up plan according, you are invincible!
If your fear of unemployment was replaced with the knowledge that you can have 5 other jobs, you'll be less likely to curl up into a ball when your boss bullies you.
YOU are in control of whom you entrust to be part of your network. The Social Enterprise affords you the option to display your skills every day (and you can do it in promotion of your current company).
It's Your Time Now!
You are in control of your future. You should strive to protect it.... Every Day!
Don't Forget to Remember!
Dave
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