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3 Ways to Keep Your Competitive Edge Without Going Overboard

 

by N. Cooper

I’m going to be honest, here. You’re reading the words of someone who thinks that a little friendly competition is a good thing… operative word being “friendly.”

Competition in the office can be downright poisonous.  If between colleagues, it can affect the morale of an entire team, or worse yet, an entire department.

[Check out Work – It’s not a Popularity Contest]

Here are a few helpful pointers to keep your competitive edge without going overboard:

  1. Do your work, and do the best work you can. You don’t have to win or beat someone at something to get noticed.  Great work shines all on its own and will get the recognition it deserves.
  2. Mind your own business. Don’t let what others are working on or tasked with divert your attention from your tasks at hand.  Being too focused on what everyone around you is doing will not only take time away from your work, but it will distract you from doing your own job well.
  3. Keep it professional. Friendly competition is fun, but the second someone is out for blood, it ruins the fun for everyone else.  Keep it professional and be respectful of your co-workers and their efforts.
The bottom line is that it’s great to toss around competition every once in a while to inspire each other to work harder, or to award office bragging rights; but there’s a fine line between enjoying it in good fun and taking it way too seriously and going overboard.  At the end of the day, as long as you’re doing the best you can do, you’re golden… so keep it up!

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