Workplace rivalry! Destructive or beneficial?

I believe it's destructive and you should prevent it at any cost.

Typically it's highly beneficial

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Destructive

Destructive! any sort of rivalry is destructive unless its in sports which is awesome. There are many other ways to keep you motivated (rewards specially)

Only if it's playful. When such a competition steps into the "serious" territory, when colleagues actually view each other as enemies, then you got trouble.

I think it is always destructive and one must focus more on collaboration in the workplace

In a healthy workplace, rivalry can be a positive force that drives innovation and productivity. However, in a toxic workplace, rivalry can lead to destructive behaviors that can damage morale and sabotage success.

Whether workplace rivalry is destructive or beneficial depends on a number of factors, including the culture of the organization, the personalities of the employees involved, and the way the rivalry is managed.

I think workplace rivalry can have both positive and negative effects. On one hand, healthy competition can drive individuals to push their limits and achieve more. On the other, if rivalry becomes toxic, it can create a hostile work environment and hinder collaboration.

it can be beneficial, but have to watch out on how much are you promoting it.

Remember, rivalry is not the same as competition. Competition can be healthy and productive, but rivalry is often destructive and counterproductive. If you find yourself in a rivalry with a colleague, try to focus on the competition rather than the rivalry. This means focusing on your own performance and goals, and trying to be the best that you can be.

I would say mostly destructive because it creates a negative work environment and culture. Mostly it happens when teams start unhealthy competition (aka. politics). But if rivalry is channeled in the right direction it is beneficial. For example in sales, it can lead to benchmarking opportunities, i.e. it will facilitate targeted improvement efforts. Another example is Enhanced creativity. Competition can spark creativity as individuals search for unique solutions to problems or ways to outshine their rivals. This can lead to the generation of new ideas and approaches that benefit the organization. But then again it should be healthy competition.

For a large corporation where as the owner/founder/manager this is actually kind of necessary. Yes it's not perfect but it works, despite some side effects. But for a startup or a small team? Hell no

i think its just not healthy for the team because it has a way of reducing team cohension long term.

I think it really depends on the team. I've been on teams where it has been highly productive, but on the flip side some of the teams I've been on it would be a disaster. Not everyone thrives with competition as it can put a lot of unnecessary stress on the wrong personality type.

When handled with fairness and in a healthy manner, it can have some beneficial impact within the workplace. But, in most cases it creates a harmful and unproductive atmosphere.

Workplace rivalry can be both destructive and beneficial. Healthy competition can drive productivity and innovation, but when it turns malicious, it harms morale and teamwork. Striking the right balance is essential to harness its potential benefits while mitigating its harmful consequences.

Whether workplace rivalry is destructive or beneficial depends on a number of factors, including the culture of the organization, the personalities of the employees involved, and the way the rivalry is managed.

Workplace rivalry can be beneficial when it promotes healthy competition and innovation, but it can be bad when it causes problems like fighting and not working together. It's important to make sure competition at work is healthy and not harmful.