Competitive colleagues in East of England criticised for damaging team spirit

With the football season in full swing, competition is straying off the pitch and into workplaces in the East of England, with more a third (36%) of employees surveyed in the region claiming that they work with colleagues who are very or fairly competitive in the workplace. According to The Assessment Network, the Investors in People (IiP) Centre for the East of England, new research published shows that less than a third of those surveyed (30%) also admitted that they actually find themselves competing with people they work with.

The research, conducted by YouGov for Investors in People - the organisation that works with companies to improve performance - also reveals that over half (51%) of those employees in the region who work with competitive colleagues believe it can destroy team spirit and a further one in ten (11%) say it leads to mistrust. Only one in five (20%) of employees see competition in the workplace as a positive thing overall.

Employees surveyed in the East of England also reveal the tell-tale signs of a competitive colleague - among those who think there is competition in the workplace, 59% say itís someone who is always trying to get the attention of senior managers and 54% believe it is someone who only picks up work when thereís something in it for them. Employees who think there is competition in the workplace also point to someone who brags about their achievements (48%) and to colleagues who claim other peopleís work as their own (51%) as signs of an employee who is competitive rather than collegiate.

When questioned about the cause of competition in the workplace, over a third (36%) of employees point the finger at bosses, believing that managers play colleagues off against each other. Other reasons cited include poor communication which leads to misunderstandings (34%) and lack of structure (23%) which means employees donít know where they fit in the organisation.

Simon Jones, Acting Chief Executive, Investors in People said:

ìEmployee ambition can have a positive impact on the workplace, driving both personal development as well as business performance. Managed effectively, such ambition can create healthy competition ñ26% of the East of England employees surveyed who think there is competition in the workplace said that it can lead to others upping their game and a further quarter said it could improve productivity.

ìBut, there is a balance to be struck between personal progress that supports the business and excessive competition that can undermine it. Left unchecked competition amongst employees can be divisive, damaging team spirit and breeding a culture of mistrust in the workplace. Managers in the East of England need to be alert to the symptoms, particularly those that suggest employees only have their own interests at heart. Agreeing clearly defined objectives will help managers ensure that employee ambition and energy is channeled into delivering for the business, rather than wasted on watching what colleagues are up to.î

When asked about the best way to manage competitive people, the regionís employees felt managers needed to set clearly defined roles and responsibilities (31%) of those who think there is competition in the workplace), help create a culture of team spirit (29%) and ensure transparency around promotion and development opportunities (14%).

Other interesting UK findings:

ï Male employees are more likely to see competition in the workplace as positive than female employees (24%/14%). They are also more likely to believe they need to be competitive to progress their careers (46%/34%).

ï Nearly half (43%) of 18-24 year old employees often or sometimes see themselves competing with colleagues as opposed to just 16% of employees aged over 55.

ï Employees working in the finance sector are most likely to see competition in the workplace as positive (31%), compared to employees in the public sector (education, health and Local Government) who are least likely to see it this way (all 15%).

ï More than half (51%) of Londonís employees think they need to be competitive to progress in their career. This compares to 30% in the South West.