Competition Versus Teamwork

Teamwork Beats Competition!

The irony! There was a competition between teamwork and competition, and teamwork won! I compared, contrasted, and analyzed both teamwork and competition, and found that teamwork is better. (Please note this essay is about the larger aspects of society, not about sports. Although I must admit my favorite sport is frisbee, just plain throwing it for fun! Call me Ferdinand the Bull if you like! :-)

I wish other folks would realize that teamwork is better than competition.

Even in the face of failure, teamwork is best: finger pointing is laid to rest, and attention turns to lessons learned!

Leaders recognize that teamwork promotes positive actions. Here is my attempt to define teamwork.

Teamwork is the process of using your resources in tune with others. So the ongoing and end results are significantly better than the sum of accomplishments of the individuals.

Leaders know that competition is going to creep in and that you can't seem to get rid of it. But teamwork must take precedence. Teamwork should receive superior lip-service as well as real service.

Pros of Teamwork

With teamwork, everyone is working to the same goal. No one is trying to get in anyone else's way. While there may be some "stars" on the team, or positions with more respect, true team players give credit to the whole team, working as a unit.

Cons of Competition

In competition, the mind set of being "a winner or a loser" can cause participants to use their mental energy to seek to undermine others, instead of working towards the actual goal. This can even cause members of a team, in competition with other teams, to undermine their own teammates so they can get a better position in the next competition.

Competition often causes participants to ignore loftier goals, and the upcoming challenges beyond the current goals. In business and the larger society, this often takes the form of focusing on the lowest common denominator: money.

Be On Guard

Competition is still going to exist in the minds of some folks, it may pass through others' minds irregularly, and some people, not at all.

Be on guard against folks who bludgeon others in the name of teamwork, overworking them, or behaving in Non-Golden Rule Behaviors.

There's a difference between "No Competition vs. Competition" and "Teamwork vs. Competition"!

It's ironic to me that some folks who seem to tout competition, are also the ones working to avoid it, get rid of it, and create monopolies.

Dealing with Competition

Question: How do you handle someone who is competitive? It depends, and this article is not about that. I have written another article, "Defending Yourself Against the Offensive," that may be able to help if someone goes on the offensive against you.

Question: Do you think you can remove competition from anything or everything? Please excuse me for laughing.

Question: Do you think I am saying people who act competitively should be shamed? No. Looking to shame someone is almost the same as entering in to an "I am better than you" competition, which is the exact thing I am promoting against.

Conclusion

If you do God's will, you will find that over time, you have been in teamwork with God, yourself, and many other people who serve God, this is much better than being in competition with God or your future self. :-)