From competition to contribution: finding the balance to transform your business

The problem with competition

Competition is often heralded as the engine of innovation and progress. Companies and individuals alike are driven to excel, vying for market share, top positions, and accolades. However, in my experience, relentlessly pursuing a competitive edge can foster a toxic work environment, heighten stress, and narrow the focus on individual success rather than collective well-being.

Inspired by "The Courage to Be Disliked"

A couple of years back, I read "The Courage to Be Disliked," a book rooted in Adlerian psychology, and I did so at just the opportune time when I was becoming more and more frustrated by those around me. There is a growing movement among other business leaders to shift from competitive behaviour to fostering positive contributions as well. The book posits that genuine success and happiness stem from contributing to the greater good rather than perpetually outshining others.

All this being said, Alfred Adler, the namesake behind Adlerian psychology, is not without issue. Bluntly, Adler was a homophobic, sexist wank. The folks who continued his psychological theses, however, like Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, are much more ethical and sensical. So, what did I take away from them that's helped me since?

My personal operating framework

Contribute by default
Communicate transparently, early, and often
Collaborate and coordinate
Do not attack
Practice gratitude

By default, I commit myself to contributing to whatever I have the competence and capacity to contribute to. This means I do not need to be asked, and I don't need to see someone else doing things before I try to do my own best.

I try to communicate early, often, and as transparently as possible. I don't want to surprise my teams. I'm autistic, and part of how that shows up is a justice sensitivity that makes it hard for me not to speak my mind, to begin with. This clear communication bleeds into positive collaboration and coordination efforts as well.

When I get frustrated with folks who show negative aspects of competitive behaviours or disrespect me in any way, for that matter, I try not to attack them. In other words, I aim to take the high road as much as possible. If this means I practice that age-old rule of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," staring at folks awkwardly instead, then so be it. But I need to collect myself and give them feedback as often as I can later on. I'd rather be perceived as awkward than disrespectful or loose-tempered. It's important to note here that embracing contribution over competition and my own personal operating framework presented here is not a means to become a pushover. Contribution does not mean blind alignment and agreement; in fact, it means ensuring positive conflict is occurring. There must be a high degree of transparency, but it's tempered so that I don't allow myself to become a jerk.

I practice gratitude internally and externally. That means I take a moment to try and process what I am grateful for each day and share that with others. I want the people who are having a positive impact on my day-to-day life to know why. I also want to reinforce positive behaviour in others.

Embracing positive contribution

Embracing positive contribution doesn’t mean abandoning the drive for excellence; rather, it involves creating a culture where collaboration and mutual support are prioritized. This balanced approach can yield numerous benefits without compromising the innovation and accountability that competition encourages.

Balanced innovation: While competition undeniably spurs innovation, collaboration enriches it. By merging diverse perspectives, a balanced approach ensures that ideas are not only groundbreaking but also practical and inclusive, paving the way for sustainable innovation.
Clearly define accountabilities: Before we can embrace positive contribution on a broader scale, we must first define what everyone is primarily accountable for. If folks don't know the direction in which they should most immediately be contributing, they can easily step on each other's toes. It can also lead to a lot of wasted effort. Everyone should be clear on what they are accountable for and why.
Enhanced personal accountability: Positive contribution redefines accountability within a collaborative framework. Individuals remain responsible for their contributions, with a renewed focus on how they benefit the team and organization. In a product organization, this is when we see the team triad or pod working format achieve positive outcomes and engaged teams.
High-performance culture through collaboration: A culture valuing positive contribution can drive high performance by fostering an environment where employees support each other to achieve excellence rather than competing with each other. This collective drive can be more potent than individual competition, leading to superior overall achievement.
Attracting and retaining top talent: High performers often thrive in environments where they can collaborate and be part of something larger than themselves. Where their colleagues don't feel combative and antagonistic. A culture of positive contribution attracts top talent seeking fulfillment through meaningful work and collective success.
Strategic market positioning: Companies can maintain strong market positions through collaborative innovation and agile responses to market changes. Positive contribution fosters a resilient organization capable of adapting and thriving in competitive landscapes.
Maintaining high standards: Focusing on positive contribution doesn’t equate to mediocrity. It promotes continuous improvement and collective accountability, ensuring high standards are consistently met and exceeded through teamwork and shared goals. Again, this cannot occur if accountabilities are not clearly defined, understood, and executed first and foremost.

Sustainable financial performance

All fuzzy, touch-feely mumbo jumbo without mention of effects on revenue, right? Alright, let's touch on that.

Organizations that balance competition with collaboration often achieve more sustainable financial growth via enhanced team cohesion, engagement, relationships, and more (Kennect). By fostering a supportive environment where collaboration, communication, and coordination outweigh internal competition, companies can improve individual employee performance, bring teams closer and lead to increased alignment and teamwork, avoid siloing (Hypercontext), innovate continuously, adapt swiftly, and maintain robust market positions. These teams also learn from each other more readily, sharing information instead of hoarding and protecting it, sharing their diverse perspectives with each other (Atlassian) (IdeaScale).

According to a McKinsey & Company study that could turn many salespeople on their heads, a technology company that enhanced its collaborative efforts saw substantial revenue growth by identifying and replicating high-performing collaborative behaviours among its sales teams. Collaboration, not competition. They found that major revenue contributions were linked to collaborative efforts, helping it optimize its sales strategy and significantly boost revenue. This included recognizing hidden contributors whose collaborative efforts were crucial for cross-selling and closing deals (McKinsey & Company).

Another McKinsey study pointed to effective team collaboration streamlining workflows and reducing inefficiencies, leading to significant cost savings. A petrochemical company engineered collaborative networks that generated substantial productivity benefits. One 60-person network alone contributed $5 million in savings by quickly solving complex problems through shared expertise and best practices (McKinsey & Company).

When spoken about in this way, it seems like a no-brainer, yet so many organizations I've encountered or coached over the years tend to intentionally or accidentally pit individuals and teams against each other or lack the support they need to enable individuals to contribute meaningfully or empower them to collaborate together effectively.

Practical steps to implement positive contribution

Redefine success metrics: Transition from individual performance metrics to team-based goals and outcomes. Recognize and reward collaboration and collective achievements. Make these as cross-functional as possible. This goes double for product organizations– product organizations will often see more success when aligning their cross-functional teams against a long-term outcome to pursue rather than an individual product to become territorial over.
Define accountability: A lot of organizations feel like they've defined their roles and responsibilities. However, a large part of where this falls apart is that team members don't know each other's accountability areas properly and often overstep or proactively try to help. Therefore, these must be defined not just individually but among teams. Make sure everyone knows who is responsible and accountable for what. This must be communicated as bluntly and clearly as possible. Then, it must be confirmed within teams that they understand their own accountabilities and each other.
Encourage open communication: Cultivate an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback. Promote active listening and ensure all voices are heard and valued. My own personal research has shown that anonymous feedback channels, no matter the level of trust an organization has, will almost always provide much more honest feedback and communication. Successful organizations try to provide as many avenues for clear communication as possible.
Foster a growth mindset: Encourage continuous learning and development. Provide opportunities for employees to acquire new skills and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of personal and professional growth.
Bake shared contribution into rituals: Regularly occurring rituals like stand-ups should alternate facilitators to help team members build confidence, get into the flow of communication, and quicken rapport building with the team. The team itself should invite failure and encourage each other.
Ask and invite: Instead of jumping to conclusions and giving direction, ask colleagues and employees thought-provoking questions to stimulate their thinking and build confidence. Invite people to speak, calling them in instead of jumping to do so yourself.
Provide space: Sometimes, our natural instinct is to instantly jump in with an answer or solution. This does nothing to help the junior folks on our teams grow. We must literally take pause and build space into rituals and collaborative spaces for others to contribute.
Provide a why not what and how: The more you dictate to teams with a command and control mindset and approach the more they will wait for your lead instead of taking one themselves. Instead, give them a clear why, without telling them an explicit what, or how to get there. In practice, this means clear, measurable outcomes to reach for, but not defining the tangible outputs you'd like to see as a means to get there.
Lead by example: Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of positive contribution. Leaders should model collaborative behaviour, demonstrate empathy, and show a genuine commitment to their teams' well-being.
Celebrate collective success: Regularly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the team as a whole. Highlight how individual contributions have helped achieve collective goals, reinforcing the value of collaboration.

Conclusion

Shifting from a solely competitive mindset to one that embraces positive contribution can profoundly transform your business. Organizations can enhance employee well-being, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable growth by fostering a culture that balances competition with collaboration. Inspired by "The Courage to Be Disliked," this balanced approach is not just strategic but a powerful way to create a more fulfilling and successful work environment for all. Striking the right balance between competition and collaboration can lead to a thriving, resilient organization poised for long-term success.

By drawing on the intention behind our competitive drive and integrating the principles of positive contribution, our businesses can build a robust, inclusive culture that champions both individual and collective excellence. But, then, if you've worked with me, you already know I think we should enable and empower teams to learn, grow, and succeed together.