Rivalry in the workplace, especially in larger teams, is practically unavoidable; it is a normal part of working life. In every large work team, it is almost certain that there will be a few individuals who have the highest goals or who simply like to measure themselves against others and compete, which inevitably leads to rivalry.
Simply put, the desire for rivalry is naturally ingrained in people, and every manager encounters it from time to time. That is why it is necessary to be thoroughly prepared for it. We will explain in more detail how to deal with rivalry in the following lines. But first, let’s take a look at what rivalry actually is and how it can manifest itself.
The term covers a wide range of areas. It can be understood as something undesirable that harms the company and can lead to conflict. On the other hand, it can also be interpreted as healthy competition. If handled well, it can therefore be beneficial to the company. Rivalry in a work team is therefore definitely not always harmful, but it must always be fully under control and all employees who are directly or indirectly affected by it must identify with it. In summary, the concept of rivalry is defined by two sides – on the one hand, desirable competitiveness, which can be a source of higher productivity for the company, and on the other hand, practically hostility with the aim of gaining as much personal benefit as possible.
What are the possible causes of rivalry in the workplace?
The first step a manager should take to prevent negative workplace rivalry is to identify its cause. This can be triggered in several different ways. However, the most common causes include mutual animosity among team members, which leads to an effort to be better than others, or an employee’s natural desire to obtain the best position in the company and thus provide for their family as best as possible. In these cases, resolving rivalry is not difficult; often, a simple discussion is enough. Another possible cause of rivalry is the personal predisposition of the employees in question, such as ego and psychological issues. In such cases, resolving rivalry is a much more difficult task, and often not even worthwhile, as the time and financial costs associated with resolving the problem would be too high.
To make things more difficult for managers, rivalry may not be apparent at first glance. And in most cases, it isn’t. To uncover it, you need to communicate thoroughly and regularly with all members of your team. The best thing to do is to ask them about it directly in private, or to conduct anonymous surveys. If you encounter even the slightest hint of unwanted competition, you need to act immediately, because failing to address this problem could result in reduced productivity, disruption of team harmony, or even the total breakdown of the entire work team.
How to deal with rivalry in a work team?
In addition to the advice mentioned above, there are a number of other tips for combating rivalry in the workplace. For example, if the situation allows, when you discover rivalry among a small group of employees, you can change their competencies and responsibilities, or even transfer them to another department. It is also a good idea to stop publishing metrics comparing employee performance, at least in the short term, if you are currently doing so as part of their motivation. However, this measure is not suitable for companies whose main activity is sales, as motivation plays a crucial role in such companies.
In any case, the key to dealing with competition from a manager’s perspective is to take a closer look at the company’s rules and culture. Often, you will discover inconsistencies that encourage rivalry. For example, consider whether the corporate culture is too impersonal. If so, take steps to change it, even if it means a short-term decrease in the company’s productivity. For the same reason, it is a good idea to include team building or teamwork activities from time to time, which can improve the atmosphere in the team and reduce the desire for rivalry. Simply put, in a group of people who understand each other and are close to each other, rivalry has virtually no chance.
As a manager, you can also focus more closely on the company hierarchy – the flatter it is, the less room there is for rivalry. It is often linked to an unhealthy desire for higher positions, which of course does not exist in a flat company structure, i.e., one in which there are a minimum number of superior roles.
Each team requires a slightly different solution to rivalry issues
It is also important to realize that problems caused by competition need to be addressed immediately at all levels. It does not matter whether the rivalry is between support staff or managers. Of course, the implementation process itself is then a matter of prioritization – it pays to start with the employees who are more important to the company. Furthermore, as already indicated, each work team has different operating principles and requires a slightly different approach when dealing with or, conversely, encouraging rivalry. The industry in which the company operates plays a key role in this.
At the same time, it also matters whether there are more men or women in the team. Male teams are generally less prone to rivalry and less sensitive to it. However, if it does occur, it can have much worse effects than in female teams. In contrast, female teams are much more prone to it, but its effects are not usually as significant. However, it is much more difficult to detect, as women usually hide their competition and only talk about it with their closest friends. Last but not least, it also depends on the personality types of the people in your team. There are people who absolutely dislike rivalry, but there are also those for whom it is a source of motivation and a unique opportunity to improve, not only at work. During individual consultations with our MBA tutors, you can also discuss any problems with rivalry in your team that you are facing and perhaps write an interesting and practical seminar paper on this topic.
