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HOW TO HIRE THE BEST

6 Ways to Create a Competitive Work Culture That's

Team First (And Not Me First)
Every employer wants to hire competitors. But how do you create a culture that is
collaborative and not cutthroat?

By Workpop (workpop.com) @workpop

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1/10/2020 6 Ways to Create a Competitive Work Culture That's Team First (And Not Me First) | Inc.com

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Tradition has it that competition brings out the best in people. It helps them grow. Accept
defeat. Learn humility. It promotes creativity and, in many cases, leads to innovation. That's
why top companies, from Google to Thomas Reuters, use competition to bring out the best
in their employees.

But put too much pressure on your employees, or push competition in the wrong way, and
the culture of collaboration you've built starts to unravel. Fortunately, there are ways to
make creative competition lead to a team- rst rather than me- rst mentality.

If you want to inspire your employees through competition, keep these six things in mind.

1. Stay in the Goldilocks zone.

In a culture that lacks competitiveness, employees aren't as encouraged to think outside
the box. Too much competition, though, can be suffocating; it's a mindset that's hard to
maintain 24/7. But nd that sweet spot, where the level of competition is just right, and
that's where the magic happens.

According to research by Daniel P. Gross, a fellow at Harvard Business School, engaging

with one or two competitors puts your employees' creativity in the best spot for original
and innovative ideas.

2. Structure to encourage team building.

Competition can still be collaborative. At Clayton Homes, one of America's largest home
builders, team-based contests fashioned after fantasy football vastly improved
performance, leading to a 200 percent increase in retail store visits tracked back to
referrals from the sales team during the competition. These competitions improved the

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company's return and motivated coworkers to work together, coaching one another, and
cheering on their peers.

3. Intentionally match pairs for performance.

Random pairings can be successful, but you also may bene t from strategically pairing
coworkers for competitive endeavors. Whether you match high and low performers or the
dedicated, long-time employee with the recent college grad, these competitions give you
the ultimate opportunity to utilize mentorship and one-on-one coaching from your top
workers. Plus, it allows more people to get involved, share ideas, and put on their creative
caps.

4. Keep it simple.
When your employees generate original ideas, it can do wonders for your business,
opening the door to new customers and markets. But launching a new product or service,
or even improving on current procedures, isn't always the easiest thing to do.

You don't always have to shoot for the sky, or reinvent the wheel. Follow the lead of Thomas
Reuters, a global information solutions company. To get the chance to pitch their idea and get access
to the company's catalyst fund (a pool of money used for rapid proof of concept), employee teams
only need a two-page paper detailing the innovation, why it's valuable to their customers, and its
potential market. Once they move on from this stage, then they begin working on a full proposal.

5. Provide the necessary resources.

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Give employees the resources and mentors they need to launch their idea to the next level.
At the Department of Health and Human Services, a federal organization that employs over
90,000 people nationwide, employees can form three to ve person teams and propose
solutions to problems facing their program, o ce, or agency. Through the HHS Ignite
Accelerator, an internal innovation program, selected teams receive individual coaching
and guidance, as well as access to the Department's leadership and innovation team.

You can follow suit at your company by offering internal classes, tutorials, and workshops,
and allowing your employees to have access to top mentors and executives.

6. Make competition valuable.

The goal of work competition shouldn't be solely to boost the bottom line. Creative
competitions should lead to skill development, and foster relationship-building between
departments. If you are offering some sort of prize to winning individuals or teams, make
sure that you aren't overemphasizing the reward; your team should buy in to your overall
mission.
PUBLISHED ON: NOV 21, 2017
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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