Managers in an up-or-out organization are expected to advance. Those who don’t are fired, at worst; at best they’re relegated to the outskirts of the organization or placed in stagnant roles. This sort of environment breeds constant pressure to compete with colleagues for the best assignments and promotion opportunities. Many employers (including ours, the U.S. Army) ratchet up the intensity with a competitive evaluation framework, rating people against one another to separate the highest performers from the rest.
When It Pays to Collaborate with Competitors at Work
Managers in an up-or-out organization are expected to advance. Those who don’t are fired, at worst; at best they’re relegated to the outskirts of the organization or placed in stagnant roles. This sort of environment breeds constant pressure to compete with colleagues for the best assignments and promotion opportunities. Many employers, like the U.S. Army, ratchet up the intensity with a competitive evaluation framework, rating people against one another to separate the highest performers from the rest. What can you do in an up-or-out environment to build your career without inflicting collateral damage? Collaborate with your competitors at work. Exchange knowledge, ideas, and feedback so that you and others can perform better and reap career rewards. Making yourself vulnerable to a competitor at work can be risky, but there’s much to be gained both individually and organizationally.