“Look to your left, look to your right: One of you won’t be here next year.” This intimidating line was immortalized as a greeting for incoming students at Harvard Law School in the classic movie, The Paper Chase. The explicit (and intended) message is that hard work is needed to be successful here. The implicit (and perhaps unintended) message is that your success occurs when others fail. In a competition, others must lose if you are to win, and so it’s natural to withhold information that might help others, or to fail to provide help when help may be needed. Clearly, this message inhibits teamwork. It’s hard to collaborate if you view (consciously or not) your colleague as the competition. Self-preservation is a powerful force.
Get Rid of Unhealthy Competition on Your Team
People can’t collaborate if they’re jockeying for position.
June 26, 2015
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New!
HBR Learning
Team Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Team Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Build a better team and achieve more of what matters.