In track and field competition, there is one winner for each event. For the spectators sitting in the stands, it would be unlikely they would be able to compete with the trained athletes on the field. Yet in many situations we do compete directly against others, in some situations with other individuals with greater skills or experience. At our jobs we compete against our fellow co-workers – some of this we bring on ourselves if we have a competitive nature, yet in other cases the supervisor will encourage competition between individuals performing the same tasks. We do this to receive recognition, because we want to win, or to receive a higher pay increase than the person who sits next to us. In doing so the top individual, or perhaps a small number of individuals, are declared "winners". So does that mean the rest of us are "losers"? But what if we change our thinking to "don’t compete, excel"?

As a past Supervisor and Manager in operations departments, I encouraged competition among the employees. By corporate direction, employee increases were based upon how employees ranked (competed) against their peers. When downsizing came around, one of the factors considered was the "employee ranking". Looking back on this now with a slightly different perspective, the majority of the staff received the wrong message. With the choices of "above average", "average", or "below average", who really wants to hear they fall in the last two categories? As a part of the review process, we typically provided a comparison of the review period against a previous one, but in the end, it was the employee’s cumulative score that placed them in their respective category. Likely it was that score or ranking my employees had in their mind when the left the office. Today those conversations would be handled differently to focus on the areas where the individual did excel.

We all have different skills, varying levels of experience to draw upon, different motivations, and different objectives. Just like the athletes on the track and the spectators in the stands, we wouldn’t think of having them compete in a race against each other. Yet in business and in life, many people are trying to do just that. Trying to compare oneself to one of the "superstars" will leave an individual frustrated, feeling that life is not fair, believing there is no reason to try at all. But instead of trying to compete against others, what if we excel with the talents and gifts each of us have.

In the operations example above, whether it is widgets, transactions, or phone calls per hour the employee is measured upon – what about the employee who has the skills and talents in the area of listening to others, showing compassion to another individual, and helping that person to see things in a different light? Too often we forget our skills and interests and try to compete in a race, a setting, or a job where we can’t measure up to our competition. We may need to perform that job to provide for our families, but we can begin to change our thinking to the fact we will work to excel in all aspects of the job in which we are capable. Perhaps the individual can use their talents to assist other co-workers who have challenges in their life and need a friend to listen. At some point, that individual may find a volunteer capacity or a new position which calls upon those specific skills. At the end of each day, they can reflect with satisfaction on the individuals they were able to help.

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